Fighting Fate
by mayghaen17
Summary: "I believe in fate more than the average person.  We will run into each other again because we are meant to be.  I just know it."  AU/AH
1. Chapter 1

**a/n: This story is dedicated to fellow author Babi. because her amazing stories inspired me to write an AU/AH fic.**

**This is just a little warning, Elena might be a little OOC in this one, but I'm trying to keep it only mildly so. Once I finish Caught in the Middle and have more chapters written for this, I'll update regularly instead of when I feel like it :) And since next week is Spring Break, I'm going to finally get One Kiss worked on! Alright, I hope you guys enjoy this one :)**

ONE

Her eyes opened while the rest of her remained still. Her gaze focused on the man that lay beside her, resting on his side with his face turned towards her. He was smiling in his sleep, his blonde hair hanging haphazardly from tossing and turning. She stared at him, taking in the sight, memorizing every inch of him. A small smile graced her lips as she gently pushed herself out of bed and to her feet.

As quietly as she could, she made her way to the bay window and sat down on the bench seat. She leaned her head against the cool pane of glass and hugged her knees to her chest. It was then that she felt the cool metal of her ring. Without looking at it, she reached out with her left hand and fingered the silver band with the sapphire gem. She bit her bottom lip and closed her eyes part way as she went over their life leading up to this moment.

It had been like a romantic comedy when they met. She had been in New York City on a trip with her best friend and he had been there on business. It was pouring outside and she had forgotten her umbrella. As she dove for the cab that pulled up, he had gone for it as well from the other side. They both found themselves staring at one another. Instead of arguing about it like she had seen other people do, he offered to share the cab with her.

_"I'm Stefan Salvatore," he said, extending his hand to her after giving the cabbie their addresses._

_ "Elena Gilbert," she returned and shook his hand._

_ "What brings you to the Big Apple?"_

_ "A trip with my best friend. She wanted to see a play on Broadway and we were both financially capable of coming to see it. What about you?" she asked as the cabbie finally merged into traffic._

_ "Business."_

_ "What sort of business?" she asked, smirking slightly at his vague non answer. "Are you a spy?"_

_ He laughed at that. "I would make a horrible spy. I'm clumsy and I don't lie very well." He shook his head and gave her a real answer. "I'm an architect. Most of the time I can work from home, but for this particular project, my firm wanted me in to look at some things."_

_ "Architect..." she mused, studying him to see if the career fit his looks. "I can see that."_

_ "What about you, what do you do?"_

_ She smiled as the cab turned down the street her hotel was located on. She knew it had been only a short distance to her hotel, but she hated being in the rain without an umbrella. Otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered with the cab. Quickly, she grabbed a piece of paper from her purse and scrounged around for a pen before writing down her phone number. The cab slowed to a stop at the entrance as she flashed Stefan a smile before handing him the paper. "I'll be here for at least another week. Why don't you call me and ask me again then?" she suggested and winked as she exited the cab and made a mad dash to the lobby._

Elena smiled fondly at the memory. It had been the perfect meet-cute that she and Caroline had dreamed of since they were little girls. She remembered practically running towards the elevators and then shifting her weight with impatience as she waited for it to carry her to her floor. Once inside the room, she told her best friend exactly what happened and they both screamed in excitement, jumping up and down on the bed. It had been an agonizing two days as she waited for him to call her. When her phone rang, displaying an unknown number, she knew immediately who it was and she had to calm herself and Caroline before she answered. Soon after that, she was getting ready for their first date.

_He held out her chair like a perfect gentleman, waiting until she was situated before taking a seat for himself. "This place is amazing," she said, her eyes darting around the room, unable to settle on anything in particular._

_ "It's one of my favorite restaurants."_

_ "You, Mr. Salvatore, have excellent taste," she said and picked up her menu. She smirked at the fact that he had chosen Italian. She knew from his last name that he was of that nationality, but the fact that he had chosen an Italian restaurant meant he took pride in it. Either that, or he knew it was a safe choice for a first date._

_ He smirked back at her. "I know," he replied, not talking about the restaurant in the least. "So..." he started after they had been sitting in silence for a long moment. "Is it okay to ask what you do now, or are you planning on keeping that information from me a bit longer?"_

_ "Hmmm..." she said, pretending to give it serious thought._

_ "Are _you _a spy?" he asked in a low voice._

_ She gave him a playfully serious look and shrugged her shoulders. "If I tell you, I might have to kill you."_

_ He grinned. "I see."_

_ The waiter had chosen to come at that moment to take their orders. When that was taken care of, Elena sat back in her chair and smiled softly. "I actually have two jobs," she informed him._

_ "Wow, someone's busy."_

_ "During the day I'm a bank teller and at night I wait tables."_

_ "Two completely different jobs."_

_ She shrugged again. "It's easy. My day job involves me sitting around all day. It's perfect for the days where I only get a few hours of sleep from having to close the restaurant so late."_

_ "As long as you're happy."_

_ She nodded. "It was supposed to be temporary, something to put me through college, but I was having too much fun living that I never did my assignments."_

_ His smile wavered a bit at that. "What were you going to school for?"_

_ "I wanted to be a teacher."_

_ "You don't want to anymore?"_

_ "Someday," she said, taking a sip of water. "I have many years ahead of me and I'm making good money. I know people can go their whole lives saying that they'll go back to school someday, but I _know _I will."_

_ His full smile returned as he lifted his wine glass and tipped her towards her. "Again, as long as you're happy."_

_ She raised her water glass and clinked it to his. "I am. What about you? Did you always know you wanted to be an architect?"_

_ He nodded and launched into many stories that led him to the place he was in today. They talked, they laughed, they ate; all in all having a wonderful time. When dinner was over, they took a cab back to her hotel. They stood in front of the building as the cab waited to take him back to his hotel. "We should do this again," he said, moving closer to her._

_ "I'd like that."_

_ "I'll call you," he promised and leaned in until his lips briefly touched hers._

_ When he pulled away, they waved their goodbyes and she watched as the cab disappeared into traffic. Once it was out of sight, she hurried up to her suite to tell Caroline every single detail just as they had done since junior high._

Elena's fingers gently touched her lips. To this day, she could still feel their first kiss, that fleeting moment where his lips had barely brushed over hers. It was her fondest memory. Again, her hand sought out the ring and the memories of all their dates after the first one played out in her mind. She remembered the day she had discovered that they actually lived in the same town, only an hour away from each other. The day that they became official. The first time they had slept together and the many times after that. The day that they moved in together.

The most recent memory she had was the day he proposed. It had happened six months ago, a year and a half since they had started dating. Their goal was to get married within the next six months, that way their anniversary would always be the same. Elena's eyes closed as the familiar panic began to settle in, the ring suddenly feeling as though it were made of lead. The wedding was next week and as each day took them closer to that final step, Elena began to panic more and more. She knew she loved him, but the idea of commitment still didn't sit well with her. She could feel the walls closing in the moment he got down on one knee.

_"Elena..." She heard her name being called softly from a distance. "Elena..." Each time it seemed to get louder and sounded closer. When she opened her eyes, it was to see Stefan lying perpendicular to her, staring at her. "Morning," he said once she was awake._

_ "Morning," she grumbled. She had never been a morning person._

_ "Wake up, Love."_

_ "It's Saturday. Neither of us have to work. Go back to bed." She said all of this with a half smile on her lips._

_ "I know, but I made you breakfast."_

_ She pursed her lips together and looked thoughtful. "I guess if there's food involved."_

_ He grinned as they both got out of bed. "It's still cooking, so you can take a shower and get dressed if you'd like," he suggested, knowing she wasn't one for lounging around in pajamas._

_ "Sounds good. I'll be down shortly," she answered kissing his cheek before heading to the bathroom._

_ Elena sped her morning routine up a bit. She had a feeling that this wasn't going to be a normal breakfast because usually he didn't start cooking until she was already awake. She recalled the first time they had met when he told her he wasn't good at keeping secrets and he was very right about that. He was not good at being sneaky which led Elena to be pretty confident about knowing what he was up to. And for whatever reason, she was feeling anxious. She had thought of this day many times throughout her life and she had always imagined that she would feel happy, but she wasn't._

_ Once Elena started descending the stairs, the smell of food hit her nostrils and her mouth watered. "It smells so good," she said, entering the kitchen to see Stefan was plating things up._

_ "Good."_

_ Elena helped him carry the plates to the table and they both sat down to enjoy their meal. When they were about done, Stefan began talking about their life together thus far. Immediately, Elena felt her stomach tie up in knots; her suspicions had been correct._

_ "I'll never be able to tell you how happy I am that we dove for the same cab that day. I used to hate the rain, but now it reminds me of you," he said, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. "Elena, you changed my life in so many ways. I love you," he added and then let go of her to slide off the chair and get down on one knee. Tears sprang to her eyes; she was both happy and scared for what came next. Stefan reached for the ring box he had stashed under the table and opened it. "Will you marry me?"_

_ Elena cleared her throat, mesmerized by the sapphire gem that sparkled in the light. Once again, she felt panic when she should have felt happy. Hoping that the feeling would go away, she nodded. "Yes," she breathed and Stefan slipped the ring onto her finger._

Only the feeling hadn't gone away. It had intensified over time and lately it was all Elena felt. Every time she had to go over wedding details with Caroline, she was seized with fear, but she pushed through, telling herself it was just nerves.

Elena looked down at her ring and then over to Stefan who was still sleeping. The panic escalated and Elena found it hard to breathe. The walls were closing in rapidly now and she had to get out. Without another thought, Elena dashed to their walk in closet and dressed as quickly and as quietly as she could. Careful not to wake Stefan, she approached him and placed a kiss on his temple. "I'm sorry," she whispered and then hurried from the room.

Once downstairs, she grabbed her purse from the table by the front door and walked out to her car. Behind the wheel, she looked at her ring again and pulled it from her finger. After putting it into the car's ashtray and closing it, she drove off into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

**a/n: I'm glad you guys like the story so far :) Thanks for all your reviews and alerts!**

**Now...I'm sure the direction I took this in was different from what you expected, but stick with me. I promise I will not make you wait for D/E as long as I made you wait in Caught in the Middle.**

TWO

He sat at the bar, playing with the empty shot glass. It was a slow night. There were only a handful of people around, the noise coming mostly from the small group of guys sitting on the other side of the bar. He heard them whispering back and forth to each other, making bets about who would end up with "the girl." After hearing that term several times, he turned around and sought out the woman they were referring to.

She was sitting towards the back of the establishment nursing a rum and Coke. There were a couple empty shot glasses in front of her which was where her gaze seemed to be focused on. He looked again at the group of guys and ordered two shots of tequila from the bartender. Before any of the rowdy men could approach her, he vacated his seat and carried both shots to her table.

He sat down and placed on in front of her. "You look like you could use another."

Elena's eyes went wide at the intrusion. She stared at him for a long moment and then slammed the drink back without the salt or the lime. It burned her way down her throat, but it left her feeling good. "Thank you?" she said, although it came out as more of a question.

He inclined his head and downed his shot, trying to be brave and do it without the salt or the lime as well. She grinned widely as he coughed, obviously unable to handle the liquor straight. He then nodded his head in the direction of the group. "They were going to see who got to take you home. They were making bets and everything. I figured I would help you out and keep them away."

"How do I know you're not in on it too?" she asked, her brow cocked in amusement.

He looked at the group again and then down at himself. "Does it look like I would hang out with a bunch of frat boys?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, but I had to ask. I don't want to get taken advantage of, now do I?"

Instead of answering her, he stuck out his hand for her to grab. "I'm Damon."

"Elena," she returned and shook his hand.

"So what brings you here at this time of night?" he asked, glancing at the clock behind her. It was only a little after one, meaning last call wasn't too far away.

"Things," she muttered, taking a deep drink from her glass. "You?"

He shrugged in response. "Drinking away my troubles, I guess."

"And what troubles would that be?"

He smiled at her and tilted his head. "What 'things' cause you to drink?" he countered.

"Touche," she replied and took another drink from her glass. She could help but stare at his eyes. They were the perfect shade of ice blue, almost colorless yet so blue at the same time. They were mesmerizing. Her cheeks warmed a little when she realized she was gawking and she looked away.

"You can stare, I know I'm ridiculously gorgeous," he said arrogantly.

She shook her head, but continued to smile. After finishing her drink, she got to her feet and pulled him to his. "What do you say to a game of pool?" she suggested, changing the subject as quickly as she could, not caring if it were obvious.

"Sure," he said and followed her to the bar's only table. While she racked up, he ordered another round of shots. He drank his while she broke, making him choke as she sank three striped balls right off the bat. "Damn. Glad we're not playing for money."

She grinned at him as she lined up her next shot. "I should probably mention that I'm _really_ good at pool," she said and sank another one.

He watched her make another one before missing the third. "And here I was thinking I'd never get to play," he said, moving to the other side of the table. Instead of lining up his shot, he watched her down the drink without flinching as she had done before. When he noticed she had seen him staring, it was his turn to blush and he fumbled, messing up his shot completely.

Elena shook her head, but chose to say nothing. Instead, the two of them continued to play game after game, taking shot after shot, until the bartender announced that it was last call. Only then did they realize they were the only two patrons left. The bartender came to deliver their last drinks and said that he was going to call a cab. "We can share one," Damon said before Elena could protest.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'd like as much time with you as possible."

Elena bit her bottom lip and downed the last shot, not wanting to say anything. She had gone long enough pretending that she was single and yet, his unspoken offer was tempting. She knew that if she agreed, she would end up putting herself in a compromising position. But as she stared into those baby blues, she found herself caring less and less. For the first time since the engagement, she felt free. She felt more like her old self and less like a prisoner.

"Cab's here," the bartender announced.

"Thank you," they both answered and headed outside.

Damon stared down at her as they approached the cab. "I'm surprised you can hold your liquor as well as you do."

"Me too," she answered as he opened the door for her.

"Where to?" the cabbie asked once they were both in the backseat.

Elena gave her address and then Damon gave his. Since his place was closer, the cabbie headed there first. In Elena's mind, it was a good thing. The thought of going home brought the panic back. The ride was silent, both of them staring out the windows. Elena was trying to suppress the anxiety and the alcohol that threatened to the turn the ride into a nightmare. Meanwhile, Damon was fighting the urge not to pull her into his lap and kiss her. He had been tempted to do it all night, but had resisted. She hadn't said she was seeing anyone but she hadn't said she was single either.

"This is me," Damon said as the cabbie stopped in front of a small condo complex. He pulled out a wad of cash and handed it to the driver. "This will cover her fare too."

"Damon-"

"Don't worry about it," he said and smiled at her as he got out of the car. "It was nice meeting you, Elena."

"You too," she said quietly and watched as he began walking towards the front door. Just as the cabbie put the car in drive, Elena yelled for him to stop. "Keep his money, but I'm getting out here too," she said and hurried after him.

Elena slipped through the elevator doors just before they closed, catching Damon by surprise. "Elena?"

Instead of saying anything, she moved to stand in front of him, close enough so that he was pinned between her and the wall of the elevator. She reached up and cupped his face before bringing it down to her level. His hands rested on her hips and pulled her closer. Both of them went completely still as their lips touched. Elena knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help it. She felt connected to the man that had saved her from a group of frat boys. Not wanting to dwell on it any longer, knowing there was no going back, Elena parted her lips and let her tongue swipe at his lips, begging for entry. The moment his tongue sought hers, the heat and desire they had both been feeling erupted.

His fingers dug into her hips, pulling her against him until they were as close as they could be. Elena wound her arms around his neck and cupped the back of his head, making sure that their faces stayed together as one. When the elevator doors opened, Damon pushed forward and then began half walking, half running with her to his condo. Elena moaned into his mouth as they crashed against his door, the knob stabbing her in the lower back. Instead of being angry, she giggled into the kiss and ran her fingers through his hair.

It took Damon a bit longer than usual to open the door as neither one of them was willing to let go of each other. They both stumbled inside the minute the door swung open. Damon kicked it behind him and dropped his keys. As they made their way to the bedroom, they left a trail of clothes on the ground in their wake.

By the time they got to the bed, they were only wearing their underwear. They collapsed onto the bed, Damon falling on top of her as gently as he could seeing as her arms were still locked around his neck. She moaned again as his lips moved to her neck. Eagerly, he kissed his way down her body. He managed to remove her bra without too much trouble and stared down at her topless figure. Elena's eyes fluttered as his tongue swirled around one of her nipples before taking it between his teeth and pulling gently. He took his time in teasing both breasts before his kisses began moving further down her body.

In an agonizingly slow pace, he removed her underwear, letting his fingers linger on the smoothness of her legs. As the thin piece of fabric floated to the floor, Damon repositioned himself in between her legs and reached out to touch her. He heard her hiss as his index finger touched the bundle of nerves. He smiled wickedly up at her, hardening at the look of sheer pleasure on her face. She bit her bottom lip and watched as he closed the distance and tasted her for the first time.

A groan left her lips and her fingers clutched the sheets beneath her as he used expert skill to drive her to the edge. Her body bowed off the bed as he slipped two fingers inside her body and sucked her clit into his mouth. He thrust into her, using the sounds and frequency of her moans to set the pace. He could feel her inner walls clamping down on him more and more, indicating that she was close. Just as she was about to come for him, he pulled away and kissed the inside of her thigh.

Elena scowled at him as he grinned up at her, leisurely kissing his way back up her body. He captured her lips with hers as he settled himself over her. He reveled in the way her thighs cradled his body and the way she hissed in pleasure as his aroused member brushed up against her core.

Not wanting to wait any longer, Damon reached down and positioned himself at her entrance. He looked at her to see if there was any sign of resistance, but only saw her eagerness. With that, he pushed himself all the way inside of her and waited for her to adjust. Her body arched into his, her breasts flush against his chest. Elena cried out in pleasure; never in her life had she felt this full. Once she had adjusted to him, she rotated her hips, signaling that she was ready.

Not needing to be told twice, Damon pulled out and slid back in. He continued to thrust into her, building speed and going deeper with each stroke. It wasn't long before Elena felt her head begin to bind. She had been so closer earlier that it only took a few thrusts to throw her over the edge. She cried out his name as her eyes squeezed shut and her inner walls clutched at him. Her nails dug into his back as her hips rose up to bring him in even more.

Damon could already feel his release beginning. He knew it was somewhat fast, but from what he could tell about Elena's sexual prowess, there would be several rounds to come. With that thought in mind, he increased his pace. Elena could feel her second orgasm building as they moved as one. In under a minute, she was calling out for him again and he was hot on her heels. He thought about the lack of condom, but any chance of pulling out of her was gone as her heels locked behind his back. Elena moaned loudly as his release warmed up her insides. They went still, still joined together in the most intimate of ways, as they caught their breath.

Damon kissed her tenderly and smiled down at her. "That was incredible."

She nodded and kissed him back. Instead of saying anything, she moved so that he slipped out of her and then flipped them over so that she was straddling him. She smirked down at him and then reached down to hold his member until she had successfully lowered herself down on top of him. Immediately, his hands flew to her hips to hold her steady as her hands dropped to his chest.

At some point, she removed her hands and sat up straight. Her head tipped back, her hair cascading down her body as she continued to ride him. He reached up with one hand to cup her breasts while the other went to their joined bodies and touched her clit. Her body jerked from the sensation as his thumb moved in circles on the bundle of nerves and before she knew it, they were climaxing together. As she collapsed on top of him, he knew he had been right about her. This was only the beginning and he was determined to have her in every which way.

* * *

Elena came awake to a pounding headache. Groggily, she fought with the comforter until she could see light. Immediately she regretted it and groaned as the light made her headache even worse. As she lay there, the memories of last night started to come back. That alone was enough for her to sit up and see if it wasn't just a dream. Damon was sprawled across the bed, his feet hanging off the side as his body was bent at the waist. His head was near her calves, facing the other direction.

Her eyes scanned the room for a clock and she did a double take at the time. It was almost eight thirty. Stefan would be wide awake by now, wondering where she was. With that, Elena scrambled out of bed and began dressing as quickly and as quietly as she could. In the bathroom, she cleaned up as best she could and called for a cab. Luckily, there was one close to the area that would be there in a few minutes.

As Elena tip-toed across the bedroom, she heard Damon stir and saw his crystal blue eyes open and staring at her. "You're leaving?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

She couldn't help but notice how adorable he looked with his hair hanging every which way. It made her smile and she approached the bed. She leaned down and kissed him. "I have to go."

"Well you should at least tell me your last name or give me your number. We should do this again."

Her smile faded and she shook her head. "I'm sorry," she whispered and started pulling away.

"Elena-"

"I can't."

"But we have something."

She sighed and continued to shake her head while backing up towards the door. "We had an incredible night and I'll never forget it, but-"

"But nothing. Elena-"

"Tell you what," she started, stopping at the threshold. "If it's meant to be, we'll run into each other again. It's not like this city is that big. It's a small world after all, right?" She smiled although her eyes were shining bright with tears.

Damon got out of bed and approached her, not bothering to cover up his naked body. He cupped her face and kissed her deeply. When he pulled back, he rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "I believe in fate more than the average person. We _will _run into each other again because we _are_ meant to be. I just know it," he whispered and then pulled back so she could leave.

"Goodbye," she whispered and had to remind herself to walk, not run, as she left. The cab ride back to the bar was silent and lonely. It wasn't until she got back to her car that the reality of the situation hit her. Tears leaked from her eyes like a broken faucet. She had two options; drive back to Damon, or put her ring back on and return to Stefan.

Knowing it was the right thing to do, she opened the ashtray and slipped the ring back onto her finger.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

It had been a strange couple of days. Lying to Stefan had been easy. She told him that she had gone for a drive and crashed at Caroline's place, knowing that her friend would cover for her. And she did. Of course, now the blonde wanted to know exactly what happened. Elena avoided the subject, thankful that Caroline was distracted with wedding plans. Sometimes Elena swore that her friend was more into her wedding than she was.

Just as always, Elena went through the motions of her daily routine, pretending that nothing was wrong. It was easy when Stefan had no clue about her doubts and her fears. She had always been good at keeping things to herself. As much as she wanted to be honest with him about her tryst with Damon, she didn't want to hurt him. Hurting him was the very last thing on her to-do list and if she could keep quiet about her feeling trapped, she could keep quiet about Damon.

It wasn't like it meant anything anyway, only...she couldn't stop thinking about him. Every time she closed her eyes, he was there. Most of the time it was his face, muted in the background with his eyes piercing their way into her soul. In the few hours that they had been together, she had felt the connection, the spark between them, but she was engaged. If she hadn't been attached to someone else, she knew she never would have left his condo.

"Earth to Elena," came Caroline's voice in a tone filled with annoyance. She smiled and waved condescendingly as Elena pulled herself from her thoughts. "Look, I know it's your wedding and all, but until you're at the altar, I'm running the show."

Elena couldn't help but smile as Caroline's jaw dropped before she covered it with both hands.

"Oh God, I can't believe I just said that!" she gasped and hugged Elena. "You know what I meant, right?"

Elena nodded. "I always know what you mean, Care," she answered. Caroline Forbes was very self absorbed, but when it came down to it, she was the best friend anyone could ask for. There were times when she couldn't keep a secret to save her life, but she only let the unimportant stuff slip. However, when it came to anything Elena had to say, it was strictly confident. And that was why Elena loved her.

"Oh good," she said and sighed heavily with relief before picking up her clipboard from the island counter. "Now, here's the list of people we still haven't heard back from and the caterer is on my ass about how much extra I'm going to order for the guests that just arrive." Elena zoned out again as Caroline rattled off a list of things that she was just going to make decisions for anyway. It was a good thing Elena trusted her and that they shared the same tastes, because the wedding dress was about the only thing she had picked out herself. The rest was all Caroline.

Elena jumped at the sound of Caroline growling in frustration. The blonde stopped what she was doing and looked at Elena, really studying her. "What?" Elena asked.

"Are you okay? You're more out of it than usual. I mean, I know you trust me to make the decisions, but at least you give me some input. Today it's like you're not even here."

Elena sighed and tried to smile. "It's just..."

Caroline took a seat at the table beside Elena and grabbed her friend's hand. "Elena, what's wrong? You know you'll tell me sooner or later so you might as well do it now and get it over with."

Elena was silent as she thought about what she was going to tell her. Caroline was not going to accept that nothing was wrong because she knew Elena too well. While Elena didn't want to talk about the night she left, she settled for telling her best friend about her doubts and fears. "Is it normal to feel this trapped?"

"Trapped?"

"Ever since Stefan proposed, I just feel like the walls are closing in. Each day the wedding gets closer and I panic. Maybe I'm not ready for this after all."

"Honey, everyone goes through this before the wedding."

"Care, the moment I saw the ring, I couldn't breathe. Not in the 'he just stole my breath away' way but the 'someone's trying to suffocate me with a pillow' way. Every day I wake up and that person pushes the pillow down even harder."

Caroline took a moment to think that one over and then shrugged. "No..." she said slowly. "That's not normal."

"So what should I do?"

"Do you love him?"

"Yes," she answered. Her love for Stefan had never been the issue. It had mostly been the commitment.

"Then I think you should talk to him." She squeezed the brunette's hand comfortingly and smiled softly. "I truly think that once you've both said I do and you become Mrs. Salvatore, all your fears and doubts will disappear and you will be happy. It might just be the pressure of a short engagement. Just talk to him," she repeated and stood up as her phone rang.

"Thanks, Care."

"And don't think for a second that you're off the hook about telling me what happened the other day," she said before taking the phone call.

Elena smiled and watched her friend argue with the florist over arrangements and colors. Caroline's advice was sinking in and she knew the other girl was right. She had to talk to Stefan and it had to be soon.

* * *

Once everything that could be finished that day was done and over with, Caroline left and Elena started making dinner. Normally Stefan did the cooking, but Elena figured that it would earn some extra points considering she was going to talk to Stefan as Caroline suggested. Only, she had no idea how she was going to start the conversation or how much she was actually going to tell him. Before she had come to a conclusion, the garage door opened and Stefan stepped into the kitchen.

He looked around in amusement at the sight of Elena moving about to prepare a meal. "Wow, it actually smells...decent," he teased.

Elena just shook her head and offered a light smile as he approached her to kiss her cheek. "I saw this on a show earlier and it didn't look too hard."

"And?"

"It's not," she answered. "It's a little painstaking, but it's not difficult. It'll be ready shortly so I suggest you wash up fast."

"Yes Ma'am," he returned and went upstairs to change into more comfortable clothes and put his briefcase in his home office.

Elena immersed herself in the meal, not letting her thoughts drift to anything that wasn't in front of her. Just as she finished setting the table, Stefan returned and took a seat across from her. She watched tentatively as he took a bite before tasting it herself. "What do you think?" she asked.

He nodded in approval. "This is fantastic," he said and then raised his brow at her. "Although the way you're staring at me makes me wonder if you didn't poison it."

"What?" she asked with a short laugh.

"Well, you look so intense and then you asked if it tasted good. It kind of sounded like 'can you taste the poison'?" he teased and then took a drink from his glass. "All joking aside, it is good. Try for yourself."

She laughed and shook her head before sampling her culinary skills. "Oh wow."

Stefan raised his glass to her and smirked. "Now you can cook more often."

As they ate, Stefan talked about how his meeting went with his most recent client. He did most of the talking, as usual, while Elena sat there, waiting for the right time to bring up the things she really didn't want to. Unfortunately, Stefan started talking about the wedding and how excited he was that it was only a few days away. He started talking about her family and friends and his friends when something occurred to her.

"You know, I just realized you don't have any family coming to the wedding," she said as they stood at the sink, washing dishes together.

"I told you that my parents died when I was young," he said in a tone that said he didn't really want to discuss the topic.

"Come to think of it, you never mention family at all."

"I have you. You're my family now," he said and smiled softly at her.

Elena looked at him and saw the sadness in his eyes. "You're not going to tell me about the Salvatore clan?"

"There's nothing to tell," he assured her and started putting the dry dishes away.

Elena stood at the sink, watching his every move. "I refuse to believe that you don't have a single relative out there."

"Elena-"

"You know how close I am with my family, Stefan. It would kill me if they weren't there on my wedding day and I know you well enough to know that you feel the same way. There has to be at least one member that you want to share the day with."

"No," he said firmly.

"But-"

"Elena, I don't want to talk about it. Your family is more important to me than mine ever was. And I'm okay with that."

She approached him and cupped his face, staring into his forest green eyes. "No you're not, but I'll let it go for now."

He nodded slightly and kissed her before pulling away from her. "That's all I ask."

They both stood in the kitchen, staring off into space as silence settled around them. Elena knew it was now or never and the words tumbled out of her mouth before she had time to think. "Have you had any doubts? About us?"

He looked at her with confusion and shook his head. "Not once. Have you?" he asked although he had a sinking feeling he knew the answer. She _had_ been the one to ask after all.

She nodded slowly, forcing herself not to look away. "I left."

His brow quirked and his head tilted to the side. "You left? What's that supposed to mean?"

"A few days ago when I came home and you were worried because I wasn't there when you woke up. I wasn't there because I left you."

A myriad of emotions washed over his face and he ran his hand through his hair, taking slow breaths to calm himself. "You left me..." he breathed.

"I want to be with you, Stefan. I love you. But the moment you proposed, I started feeling trapped. Then you set such a close date and it was like each day, I felt more and more pressured."

Stefan looked at her again and saw the tears shining in her eyes. "If you felt this way, why didn't you tell me? We could have had a longer engagement."

"I didn't want to disappoint you. You were so happy and I wanted to give you everything."

He shook his head, "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"Because I realized that leaving you made me feel worse than the building pressure. When I came home and you wrapped your arms around me, it was like the walls began to recede and I could breathe again," she said. It hadn't exactly been the truth, but talking about it was finally letting her feel free again. Getting it off her chest was better than she expected it to be. She took a few steps towards him and stopped, not sure if he wanted her to be that close to him just yet. "I know my timing is horrible, but I needed to tell you."

"Do you want to get married?" he asked.

She nodded slowly. "Truthfully, I never saw myself having a husband, living in a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence or having kids, but you changed that. I guess the reality of the situation set in when you proposed and it scared me because it was happening so fast. But for those few hours I was apart from you, I realized I wanted that more than anything. I'm sorry if this makes you think less of me and I'll understand if you don't want to go through with it, but I'm ready now. I'm sorry it took me this long to realize it."

All of this was being realized as she said it and not before, but the fact was she was telling the truth. A part of her wanted to be completely honest, but the other part of her knew it was best to keep it to herself. She took a deep breath and stared at him, waiting for him to make the next move. It was up to him now whether or not they continued on or went their separate ways.

Elena's body relaxed considerably as Stefan closed the gap between them and pulled her close. "Just promise that you'll tell me the next time you feel this way and that you'll never leave me again."

"I promise," she whispered as tears spilled down her cheeks and she hugged him back as hard as she could. "I love you so much."

"I love you too," he replied.

As Elena's eyes closed, relieved that they had gotten everything out in the open and that the walls were no longer closing in, she could still see Damon's face in her mind's eye. Those piercing blue eyes staring at her, reminding of her of what she could have had and what she would never have again.


	4. Chapter 4

**a/n: ****So it seems that my muse has returned (don't know for how long though) and I started writing this fic again, so I should be able to post more frequently soon :)**

**I should have mentioned this before, but I forgot. Elena grew up in Mystic Falls (I explained her background in this chapter). For the sake of the story, let's pretend the Boarding House was in Fell's Church, an homage to TVD book series. Now, Stefan and Elena live in the suburbs outside of Richmond and Damon lives in a condo somewhere on the other side of the city. Grayson and Miranda live in the Gilbert house that's featured on the show. Let me know if you need me to clarify anything :)**

**And I went back and forth with the idea of them going through with the wedding. I ended up choosing that route because a lot of my story has to do with them being married and not simply engaged. Sorry guys :(**

**I will be posting another story too, either tomorrow or Wednesday. It's called Written in Blood. Of course it's a Delena story and Stefan will hardly be in it at all :)**

FOUR

Elena paced in front of the full length mirror. She was in her old bedroom waiting for her bridal party to come up and tell her everything was ready to go in the backyard. Since the moment she woke up, everything had been surreal. As time passed by, Elena could slowly feel the pressure beginning to build once again. This time, she knew it was just all the nervousness of the day settling in. She chose to believe that once she started walking down the aisle, the feeling would go away and everything would be alright.

Just as she stopped in front of the mirror and took a deep breath, the door opened and Caroline rushed into the room. She pressed her back against the door and growled in frustration. "Only you would have two mothers and two fathers," she griped, although smiling at the bride.

Elena turned to view her maid of honor and smirked. "I'm sorry. Are they really being that bad?"

"No," she said and sighed, walking over to Elena to play with her hair some more. "It's just after I get done filling one parent in on how you're doing, another comes up, then another, and it never ends."

"I'm kind of surprised Isobel came," Elena mused as Caroline nudged her to sit down at the vanity table so she could put the finishing touches on the bride.

"She is your mother," Caroline replied.

"I know," Elena answered wistfully.

As bad as it sounded, Elena didn't really think her birth mother would show up. She had only met her once in high school after she learned that she was adopted. It was strange to learn that her parents were actually her aunt and uncle while her uncle was her real father and her birth mother was traveling the world. It was exhausting to think about, even to this day.

_"So...I'm adopted, but we're still family by blood?" sixteen-year-old Elena asked her "parents" Miranda and Grayson Gilbert._

_ Grayson nodded. "Yes."_

_ Elena narrowed her eyes, looking back and forth between the pair. "I know Jenna's too young to be my mother so that would mean..." She swallowed hard at the thought of being related to them through Grayson's younger brother._

_ Grayson nodded again. "John is your father."_

_ Elena wasn't very happy to hear this given that she had always thought that John didn't like her. She always felt awkward around him. Although, the more she thought about it, it made sense. How could he not feel weird about being around his niece who was actually his daughter? "And my mother?" she asked before taking time to think about the question._

_ Miranda smiled and reached across the table to take her daughter's hand. "We've told John that we were going to tell you about this and he said he wanted to answer all of your questions."_

_ Elena nodded. "When? Because I really want to know."_

_ Grayson smiled widely at that and stood up. "I'll take you to see him. I told him I'd call after we finished talking."_

_ And before she knew it, Elena was waving goodbye to her uncle and walking inside her father's condo. She shook her head at the thought, still completely blown away by the game of musical chairs her relatives were making her play. She sat on the arm of the couch and stared down at her hands while John sat in his oversized chair. "What would you like to know?"_

_ She looked up at met his gaze. "I want to know everything."_

_ He nodded and took a moment to gather his thoughts. "We were young and..." Not even through the first sentence and he already knew he was off to a bad start._

_ Elena grinned and shook her head. "You can say stupid, Uncle..." She stopped and cleared her throat. "You can say stupid, I'm not going to think it's synonymous with me being a mistake."_

_ He smiled nervously and inclined his head before continuing. "Well, we were young and stupid. She was younger than you are now and I wasn't much older. I had a few friends that lived in her hometown so I was up there almost every night. When I met her, I instantly wanted to be with her. We had a great summer together and then school started and I didn't have much time to go up there every day. When I did have time, she would blow me off and ignore me. It wasn't until the day you were born that I saw her again."_

_ "She didn't tell you that she was pregnant at all?"_

_ "I know she didn't do it on purpose. She was scared and I never blamed her. She had finally gotten tired of her parents forcing her to do things and decided she didn't want to give the baby to a strange family. But we were too young to raise a child. That was when Grayson stepped up and told me that he would adopt you. By that time, he and Miranda were trying to conceive a child, but were having trouble. It was a win-win for everyone."_

_ "So what happened? How come no one said anything to me before now?"_

_ "We were always going to tell you, but we wanted to wait until you were old enough to understand the whole story."_

_ Elena's eyes narrowed, noticing the way he avoided the first question. "What happened with my mother?" she asked again._

_ "When she went home, her parents decided to move and within a week they were gone."_

_ Elena felt her heart break at the pain in John's eyes. "That's horrible."_

_ He nodded and his eyes took on a faraway look. "I was able to track her down and I talk to her every so often. She asks about you all the time and I think she would love to meet you."_

_ "What's her name?" Elena asked, feeling anxious to meet the woman who had given birth to her._

_ "Isobel Flemming."_

_ "And I can meet her?"_

_ He nodded again. "Next time she's in town, I'll arrange for the two of you to meet."_

_ "I'd like that. Thank you," she said and smiled at the man sitting across from her._

_ "You're welcome. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"_

_ Elena nodded enthusiastically, "Tell me more about her." John grinned and spent the rest of their time together filling her in on her birth mother._

Elena pulled herself back to the present only to see Caroline sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at her. "You're starting to freak me out."

Elena cleared her throat and smiled, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "I'm starting to freak me out too."

"What are you thinking about?" she asked.

"The day I learned I was adopted."

"Ah."

"Look, I know you're hiding out in here, but can I have some time by myself?"

Caroline's eyes narrowed slightly. "I will be standing outside your door so if you're thinking about pulling a runaway bride, think again," she warned and winked on her way out. Elena shook her head and gazed at herself again, this time, thinking about the day she had met her birth mother.

_Elena sat at the Mystic Grill where John had arranged for her to meet Isobel. John was sitting at a table on the opposite side of the restaurant. He was there for moral support and to see her again since it had been years between their last visit. Elena felt her heart leap into her throat the moment a woman sat down at the table across from her. She folded her arms and smiled sweetly at the young girl. "I knew you were my daughter the moment I walked in here."_

_ Elena smiled back, unable to keep her eyes from brimming with tears. She had been thinking about this moment for a few months now. She had built up an idea of what her birth mother would be like and she only hoped that the real woman lived up to those expectations. "Hi."_

_ Isobel's eyes fluttered as she tried to keep her tears under control as well. "I know you must have a million questions and I don't blame you one bit if you hate me for abandoning you."_

_ Elena shook her head immediately. "I know you didn't abandon me. John filled me in on that part of the story. I already know the past, I just want to get to know you."_

_ A tear ran down her cheek as she reached out to take her daughter's hand. "You have no idea how afraid I was of meeting you. I really thought you would hate me, but that was foolish. I'm glad to see that Grayson and Miranda raised you well."_

_ With that, Isobel got to her feet and moved to hug her daughter for the first time in sixteen years. After that, they had spent the entire day getting to know each other. For the next few days, Elena had spent most of her time with John and Isobel until Isobel had to leave for Europe. "Do you think you'll come back?" Elena asked right before they had to say goodbye._

_ "Nothing will keep me away from you now that you know," she said, cupping Elena's face with one hand. "I just have to finish up this research project and then I'll start looking for jobs out here." She hugged Elena again. When she pulled back, she handed her a piece of paper. "This has my cell and my email. Feel free to call or write me any time and I'll always answer you, okay? I love you," she said and placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead before leaving._

Elena looked away from the mirror as her tears blurred her vision. Determined not to ruin her make-up, she started pacing the room again. It had been seven years since meeting her mother and today would be the second time she saw her. Her research project had turned into a bigger ordeal than she planned on and never did move back to the States. But she and Elena talked every day whether it was email, Skype, phone, or any other way. The day Elena told her about the wedding, Isobel had booked her ticket and said nothing would keep her away. Elena was glad to see that she was the first guest to arrive.

The only problem with having four parents was choosing which one to do which task for the ceremony. The hardest part was choosing which father to walk her down the aisle. In the end, Elena asked both of them, knowing it would be wrong to choose one over the other.

Elena moved to the window and looked down into the backyard. She took a deep breath as she saw Caroline's vision coming to life. In fact, it was almost complete. Once again, she felt the pressure increase and her eyes scanned the crowd nervously until they came to rest upon Stefan. He was talking to her brother who was really her cousin Jeremy and a few other guests. What drew her attention the most was how truly happy she was.

Elena closed her eyes and saw Damon once again, only this time, it was the kiss they had shared before her departure. "Goodbye," she whispered to the memory and when she opened her eyes, the pressure was gone. With a deep breath, she made her way across the room and opened the door to Caroline her other bridesmaids, Jenna and Anna, Jeremy's girlfriend. All three women looked at her and Caroline was poised to tackle her if necessary. She grinned and inclined her head. "I'm ready."

Everything that followed passed by in a blur. It wasn't until she was walking down the aisle with John and Grayson on each arm that time seemed to slow down. Stefan was looking at her with a bright smile on his face and it warmed her heart. _I love you_, he mouthed once she was standing in front of him at the altar.

_I love you_, she returned and went through the ceremony as planned.

They exchanged vows and said their I do's before the priest said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

"Gladly," Stefan replied and pulled Elena into his arms, sealing their marriage vows with a passionate kiss. One that Elena was finally able to return in full.


	5. Chapter 5

**a/n: Alright, I'm letting you know that Damon will not return until the next chapter. I'm trying to keep Stefan to a minimum. As I said to some of you, Stefan's not going to be as blind as he normally is in my stories. He's going to realize something's up long before Elena even contemplates telling him.**

**And I know that a lot of people have strong feelings about the cheating thing, but I don't, so that's why I said Elena would be a little OOC in this one. Sorry guys :( But once Damon comes back, things are going to pick up and Stefan won't be in it as much :)**

**And I am 21 today! So I'm posting this and the second chapter of Written in Blood!**

FIVE

Their honeymoon had been two weeks of bliss. The couple had stayed at a grand hotel in a Caribbean beach resort. They had done nothing but sip drinks, go out to dinner, and spend time in each other's arms. The newly weds had had too much fun and relaxation on the beach. Neither of them wanted to return to their normal lives. It was just what Elena needed to prove that their relationship could work. She had always loved Stefan, but now she was sure of it. A part of her was worried that she wouldn't feel the same once they went home and things went back to normal. It was what made the return home a dreaded one.

When they arrived at their house, they were greeted by friends and family throwing them a welcome home party. Caroline had arranged most of it and was more than happy to have her best friend back. "You guys look so tan!" she exclaimed and smirked at Stefan. "Well, at least you do. She always looks tan."

"Nice to see you too Caroline," he said before she pulled Elena off to the side.

"So how was it?" she asked, wanting the all the details.

"It was perfect," she answered.

"Any residual doubts and fears?"

Elena shook her head. "None that I feel at the moment. We talked before the wedding and I told him exactly what you told me to. We cleared the air between us and I'm slowly starting to come around to this marriage thing."

Caroline smirked again. "Just remember, not every day will be long walks on a moonlit beach and ocean views from the bedroom window."

"How do you know?" Elena teased to which Caroline made a face and then smiled. She pulled the brunette into a crushing hug. "Did I tell how glad I am to have you back?" she asked.

"Several times," Elena answered, including the number of times she had said it over the phone after calling the blonde once she got off the plane.

Caroline pulled back and looked at the rest of the party-goers bombarding Stefan with questions. "I guess I should let you see your other guests. We'll talk later. I demand full details."

"You got it," she said and headed out of the little room to see the rest of the people that had come. She was surprised to see Isobel cross her path. "What are you doing here?" she asked, hoping it came out the way she intended.

Isobel grinned and pulled her daughter into a hug. "Your father asked me to stay for a little longer and I decided to stay until you got back."

"I'm glad you're here."

"Me too," she said and grinned even more. "I was actually thinking of taking a leave of absence and moving back to the States for a little while."

"Really?" she asked, her voice filled with hope.

She nodded. "I do have to go back and see what's what and then I'll be able to make the arrangements. I figured it would best to see if you would want that. I've missed so much of your life already, I would really like to be closer to you now. Especially if you're planning on having children."

For a split second, Elena felt the familiar panic rush through her system. Having kids had been an even touchier topic than getting married. She forced a smile and cleared her throat. "We haven't really talked about that yet."

"Well, if it does happen, I would like to be here for it instead of overseas. It was hard enough the first time around," she said and pulled Elena in for a hug.

"I would really appreciate it, Isobel," she said, returning the hug. After pulling away, she wandered through the crowd to find John. He was standing by the bar, his eyes following Isobel wherever she moved. Elena smirked, having noticed the same thing at the wedding. "Hey."

"Hey, Kiddo," he said quickly, looking at her with a sheepish grin from being caught. "I hope everything went well."

"It was perfect, thank you," she said, seeing as how he was that one that paid for their long vacation.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Did Isobel tell you she's thinking about moving back out here for a little while?"

"Yeah, she mentioned it a few times while you were gone."

Elena couldn't help but smile as his eyes looked past her shoulder to what she could only assume was Isobel. "You do know she's not seeing anyone, right?"

His eyes darted back to hers again. "What?" Of course he knew what she said, but he was surprised by it.

"You're obviously still in love with her and trust me when I tell you that she never really got over you either."

John stared at his daughter and shook his head slightly. "Don't worry about us, Elena. You found your match, let us worry about our own."

She nodded and then looked around. "Where are Mom and Dad?"

"Grayson had a medical convention in Los Angeles and Miranda went with him."

Elena laughed. "Mom and her free spa days." Her mother always went with her father to the conventions since everything was paid for. She had access to everything and made sure to reap the benefits each and every time.

"They did say they wanted to be here, but the convention wasn't something they could get out of."

"It's fine. It works out good this way," she replied and smiled at him again. "I still say it wouldn't hurt to try," she added before walking away.

She found Stefan talking to his co-worker and best friend, Tyler Lockwood. He had been at the wedding as Best Man. "Hey Mrs. Salvatore, you're looking exceptionally well," he said as he pulled her into a hug. "I see Stefan treated you just right," he added and Elena gave him a playful smack as she pulled away from him.

"You know, I didn't really miss you," she teased.

He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped as Caroline approached them. Elena exchanged a glance with Stefan as the air around them thickened and the other pair regarded each other awkwardly. "Elena, can I borrow you for a minute?"

"Sure," she said and excused herself from the boys. "What was all that about?" she asked once they were far enough away.

"Nothing."

"Caroline."

She sighed and sneaked a peak over Elena's shoulders. "I may have slept with Tyler."

Elena's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets at that. "May have?"

She nodded. "Yeah..."

"I think you better start from the beginning," she suggested, figuring whatever Caroline had pulled her away for could wait a little bit longer.

"It was your wedding night. I had a lot to drink at the reception. After we sent the two of you away in the cab, Tyler and I decided to share one too. I let him come upstairs with me because we had started talking in the car." She bit her lip nervously and looked around again. "Well, we were both pretty wasted and the only thing I'm sure on is that he kissed me."

"He did?"

"I tripped walking to my door and he caught me. We laughed and the next thing I knew his lips were on mine. There was a bit more laughing and I know I opened a bottle of wine. Right after that, I was waking up in bed with him. We were both semi-dressed, but we couldn't really tell if... you know."

"Wow," Elena muttered, unable to come up with much else. "Just wow." They stood there in silence for a moment or two before Elena spoke again. "So why are you telling me this?"

"Because I like him. Did I not make that clear?" she asked, giving Elena a "duh" look.

Elena smirked. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Uh, no."

It was quite amusing to see Caroline like this. Usually, if she wanted something, she went for it. "Well, what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to find out if he likes me. Things were really awkward that moment and I don't want to make things worse." She gave Elena a pleading look. "I know I've known him for a long time thanks to Stefan, but wouldn't it be great if your two best friends got together? It would be amazing to go on double dates with each other. It would-"

"Okay Caroline," Elena interrupted the blonde. "I'll find out and let you know."

"Thank you!" she exclaimed and threw her arms around her friend.

"What did you pull me away for?"

"Oh nothing, just that," she said before starting to mingle with the rest of the guests. Elena grinned and went about the house to greet the others who had shown up for the party as well.

* * *

Later that night, after everyone had left and the house had been cleaned up, Stefan and Elena finally made their way upstairs. As they collapsed onto the bed, they both sighed with exhaustion. While the party was nice, it had used up any spare energy they had from the long flight home.

"That was nice of Caroline," Stefan said.

"Mhmm," Elena replied, her eyes already closed.

Her eyes opened as she heard Stefan take a deep breath. She looked at him and he smiled at her. "There's something I have to tell you. I know you're tired, but I want to tell you tonight."

"What is it?" she asked, moving to lie on her side so she could see him better.

He was silent for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to tell her. He ended up blurting it out. "I have a brother."

Elena's eyes widened significantly. Out of all the things he could have said, that was definitely something that hadn't crossed her mind. "You... But..." Her thoughts were too scattered to form words. After she cleared her throat, she sat up and looked at him. "Why have you never mentioned this before?"

"I haven't seen him in years," he answered, his eyes taking on a sad, faraway look.

Elena smiled softly and reached out to lay a hand on his arm. "Tell me about him."

"We used to be close, like best friends. When my mother passed away, things got really bad at home. Dad started taking his anger and sadness out on him. I honestly don't know if he went as far as physical abuse, but things weren't good. When he turned sixteen, he took off. I haven't seen him since."

"How horrible."

"It's one of the reasons I never spoke to my father. He made my brother resent me because I was considered the golden child," Stefan said, staring up at the ceiling. "I was twelve when he left; I didn't know what was going on until he left. He wrote me a note with brief details, but I was able to piece things together from what my father said."

"Stefan, why didn't you tell me?" Elena asked softly.

He shrugged and moved to sit with his back against the headboard. "I tried tracking him down when I went away to college. But it was like every time I found an address or a phone number, it was no longer the right one. I was always so close, but yet so far from finding him. By the time I graduated, I had given up. It wasn't until I met you that I tried again. Family was so important to you and I knew I couldn't keep this from you forever. I never told you before because I didn't want to get my hopes up of ever seeing him again."

Elena tilted her head to the side, a smile tugging at her lips as she saw happiness shining in his eyes. "So does that mean..."

He nodded, grinning at her. "I found him. I hired a private investigator and he was able to get me a current address. I wrote to him and I got a letter back the week before the wedding. He gave me his email address and I've been talking to him again. I want you to meet him."

"Of course!" she exclaimed and surged forward, wrapping her arms around his neck. "When?"

"He has my address and I told him he's welcome any time. He said he would come by as soon as he could."

"What's his name?" she asked, pulling back from him.

He shook his head playfully. "You'll find out when you meet him. Saying it out loud makes it seem too real and that's usually when things don't work out."

Elena rolled her eyes. "You and your superstitions. Alright, well, you tell him I want to meet him as soon as possible. I won't tell anyone else if you don't want me to."

He nodded in agreement. "I think it would be good if he just met you first. You're family's complicated."

Elena couldn't help but laugh at that. "Tell me about it." She moved to straddle his waist and pressed her lips to his. "Thank you for telling me."

"I love you."

"I love you too," she replied and kissed him again.


	6. Chapter 6

**a/n: thanks for all the birthday wishes! It was an amazing day!**

**Alright, now the long awaited return of Damon!**

SIX

Elena was lying on her back with her hands covering her closed eyes. For the millionth time that day, she was wishing for the world to stop spinning so she could get up and do something. She had been feeling this way for at least a week, but it wasn't the flu. It wasn't anything, really. It just felt like a migraine mixed with an upset stomach. It was annoying, but no amount of medicine seemed to be helping. Even Stefan was starting to worry about her, but he only knew what she chose to tell him over the phone. He had left five days ago for another business trip and was due back today. That was one of the main reasons Elena wanted whatever it was that was wrong to hurry up and solve itself so he wouldn't have to fuss over her when he returned.

Just as she started feeling a little better, she heard the front door open followed by Caroline's voice calling up the stair.s "Elena!"

"In the bedroom!" she shouted back, instantly regretting doing so.

"Why are you in bed? It's the middle of the day and-" Caroline said, stopping as she entered the master suite. "You don't look so good."

Elena removed one of her hands to peer at Caroline. "Thanks," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"What's wrong?" she asked, coming to sit on the side of the bed. Elena moved her hands to her side, forcing herself to focus her gaze on Caroline. Having something besides the ceiling seemed to help a little.

"I don't know. When I move, I get nauseous. It's not every time, but when it starts, it never seems to go away. I've thrown up a few times..." her voice trailed off as she saw Caroline's face light up with delight. "What?"

"You do realize that there's something that explains your symptoms perfectly, right?"

Elena's heart skipped a beat as her eyes went wide. "No."

"Oh yes," Caroline said and got to her feet. "You know what? I'm going to run to the store and get you some pregnancy tests. When I get back, you're going to take them."

"Care, I'm not-"

"Well, if you're not, then you'll have ruled out one possibility."

Elena couldn't argue with that. For one, it was logical and two, Caroline had already left the room. Elena took a series of deep breaths, letting them out just as slowly as she took them in. She knew that if she was pregnant, the conception would have taken place before the honeymoon. Which meant... "No," she said aloud, closing her eyes. She wouldn't let herself think of that. Of _him_.

In order to keep her thoughts from going back to that night, Elena forced her mind to go blank. It was easier than she thought it would be and for the first time all day, her headache seemed to disappear. She breathed a sigh of relief and took her time sitting up. However, the moment she got to her feet, the nausea came back and it sent her running for the bathroom.

As she stood in front of the sink, cleaning up, Elena was able to take a good look at herself. Her head tipped forward so she could see her stomach. She lifted up the hem of her shirt and put her hands on her skin. She and Stefan hadn't had this conversation yet, not seriously anyway. He had said he would love to have children once or twice during their engagement, but Elena wasn't sure. She knew she would make a great mother, but she wasn't ready. At least not yet.

When Caroline returned, she found Elena sitting up in bed. She held up the plastic bag and then tossed it to the brunette. "Alright, let's see if we're pregnant."

"We?" Elena asked, unable to hold back her smile.

"Of course," she said and pointed to Elena's stomach. "If you are, that kid is going to adore their Aunt Caroline because she is going to spoil them like crazy."

Elena shook her head and carefully got to her feet. Since her upset earlier, she had been feeling a little better. It didn't make her sick to stand up and move around. "Come on," she said, pulling Caroline with her into the bathroom.

The blonde hopped up onto the counter and set the bag beside her. She reached into it and handed Elena one of the tests. Elena took it from her and headed to the toilet that was tucked away behind a privacy wall. "I'm so excited that I'm going to find out before Stefan."

"Which reminds me, whatever it is, I want to tell him before anyone else hears about it."

"Yes, Elena, I will keep my mouth shut," she said and sighed before smiling brightly again. "Either way, I get to know first."

Elena smiled and took the test. When she was done, she set it on a piece of toilet paper on the counter and washed her hands. "How long do we have to wait?" she asked.

Caroline picked up the box and looked for the answer. "Five minutes. God, that seems like a long time."

"Tell me about it," Elena mumbled.

For the first time, Caroline's smile went away as she looked at her friend. "You don't seem very happy about this."

"I don't know what to feel," she admitted.

"Explain."

Elena drew in a shaky breath and shrugged. "Just that," she answered. "I never said I didn't want kids, but I just feel like now isn't the right time. I'm not ready." She shrugged again and met Caroline's gaze. "Do you remember our talk before the wedding?"

"When you told me you were freaking out about it?"

Elena nodded. "Well, I felt alright at first, talking to Stefan did help, but lately, I'm starting to feel pressured again. Having a baby on top of it..."

Caroline hopped off the counter and stood in front of her friend. She took both of her hands in hers and squeezed them reassuringly. "I'm not even going to pretend that I know what you're going through, because I don't have the slightest idea. However, I know _you_. You don't get scared of commitment. You jump into things that you want to do and stick with it until the end. Whatever it is that's going on with you, you can tell me. Do you think getting married was a mistake?"

Elena truly didn't know how to answer that. She loved Stefan and she wanted to be with him, yet getting married seemed like an awfully big step. Getting pregnant... "I just think it's the wrong time," she said softly.

"Well, whether you think it is or not, you could be with child right now." Caroline let go of one of Elena's hands so that she could cup her face. "But there are things that you can do about it."

Elena shook her head at that. "No, I'll be keeping the child," she said confidently. Whatever the outcome, the baby would be hers.

Caroline smiled and gave a nod. "This is a big step and I know it wasn't really planned, but you and Stefan are going to make great parents. You can do this Elena. You're going to have support from every single one of your friends and family. You'll have all the help you'll ever need."

The more Caroline spoke, the calmer Elena got. Sure, having a child would change everything, but it wasn't the end of the world. It was normal to be scared, but her friend was also right. Her friends and family would be there every step of the way. And Stefan. He was going to be so happy when he found out about this.

Slowly, Elena nodded and returned Caroline's smile. "Alright, let's find out if we're pregnant."

"You said we," Caroline teased as she turned to grab the test. "Do you want to look at it together or have me do it or...?"

"Together," she answered and peered over the blonde's shoulder.

Silence filled the room as they stared at the test. The word on the display was easy to read and impossible to get wrong. Pregnant. Elena felt her heart rate accelerate and as a result, had to step away to catch her breath. Half of her was excited about the news, and the other half was ready to bolt.

"Elena?" Caroline asked, wrapping the test up and throwing it in the garbage.

"I'm fine," she said, staring at her friend. "But you know what they say, it could be a false positive. Just to be sure, I'm going to make an appointment. Then I'll know for sure."

"But you-"

"Once I know it's really for real, I'll be thrilled," she interrupted and offered a smile. "You know me, Care. It takes me awhile to warm up to things. I will be happy about this, it's just going to take some getting used to and some serious life adjustments."

With that, Caroline broke into a huge grin and tightly embraced Elena. "I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you." When she stepped back, Elena moved for the bags and handed them to her. "Now, you're taking these with you. I don't care what you do with them, but I don't want them here."

"Destroy the evidence," she said with a wink. "Got it."

"And I meant what I said about keeping everyone in the dark about this until I tell Stefan. I even want you to be quiet about it until I know for sure that I'm having a baby."

"Alright," she said with a sigh.

"Now, I need you to go because I have to come up with a way to tell Stefan before he gets home in a couple of hours."

Caroline hugged Elena once again and pulled away smiling widely. "You're going to be a fantastic mom," she said as they walked downstairs to the main entrance.

"Thank you."

"I want to know the minute you tell him so I can congratulate him," she demanded after stepping outside.

"I'll have him call you," Elena assured her and then waved as she shut the front door. Once she was alone, she rested against the door and closed her eyes, her hands on her stomach. For the second time, she thought of how happy Stefan would be. Her thoughts were darkened as those vivid blue eyes haunted her again, reminding her that the life inside of her might not have been created by her husband in the first place. Elena shuddered and stepped away from the door, forcing those thoughts to the back of her mind. For now.

Stefan arrived home to find Elena on the couch, reading a book. She had started to make dinner for him, but the smell of it started to make her nauseous again. She opted for either ordering in or going out. "Are you alright?" Stefan asked as she slowly got to her feet.

"I'm fine. Just feeling a little under the weather."

"Was it the same thing you told me about? How long has it been going on?" he asked, coming to feel her forehead.

She smiled softly and pulled her hand away. "I'm fine, Stefan. Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll go away soon." He nodded and took her hands in his. "I meant to cook dinner, but I-"

"It's okay, we can go out."

"I know, but you just got in from traveling all week. We can order in?"

He shook his head and scrunched his nose. "New York isn't that far away. I just need to change into something a little less business like and I'm set to go. What about you?"

Elena looked down and shook her head. "I'm good." She always got ready for the day even if she didn't have anything planned. Caroline was known for impromptu outings and didn't like waiting for Elena to get ready.

"Okay, I'll be down in five minutes or so."

"Sounds good," she said and smiled after he briefly kissed her before heading upstairs to change.

Elena went back to the couch and picked up her book. She had been reading the same page over and over again for a while. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to get her mind off of the fact that she was pregnant. However, the more she thought about it, the more she could imagine herself as a mother. The fear she had experienced earlier was slowly fading away and when she thought of the baby, she was filled with a sense of joy. A smile took hold of her lips as she put down the book. No sooner did the book hit the table did the doorbell ring. It caused her to jump as it brought her back to reality. She approached the door, wondering who it could be. No one was supposed to come by and Caroline had already been there. The person was a surprise and it wasn't a pleasant one.

Elena's smile was wiped off her face, replaced by a mixture of fear and true surprise. Those vivid blue eyes that had haunted her dreams for a month were staring back at her from the other side of the threshold. He held the same expression, although his was mostly surprise and confusion. He stepped back to look at the house number again and then back at her. Neither one of them could speak; they didn't know what to say.

Just as his lips parted to say something, Stefan bounded down the stairs, stopping short at the sight of them. Elena turned, still in a daze, to see him. He was smiling widely and he looked elated. It was then that Elena noticed what was in his hand. Fear took hold of her and she stepped back, her hands on her stomach.

"Damon?" he asked, looking at the man outside.

Damon looked back and forth between the two. "I'm sorry, is this a bad time?"

"No, no," he said, his smile widening. "This is a great time. Come in," he said and shut the door behind the newcomer. Stefan moved to stand beside Elena, looping an arm around her waist; the arm that was holding her pregnancy test still wrapped in toilet paper. "Damon, this is my wife, Elena. Elena, this is my brother, Damon," he introduced and then placed his other hand on her stomach. "And this is our baby."


	7. Chapter 7

**a/n: I decided to be nice and post this today because I have yet to start One Kiss. Luckily this chapter was already done because I haven't had time to write in a week. Alright, time to see what happens after that evil cliffhanger I left you with :)**

SEVEN

Time seemed to stand still as Damon's eyes dropped to her stomach. Slowly, he looked up to meet her gaze. Both of their worlds had been turned upside down the moment she opened the door and neither of them knew what to say. Damon's gaze moved to Stefan's face. His little brother looked outrageously happy and Damon was overcome with guilt. "Congratulations," he said around a tight throat and forced a smile.

Stefan beamed, but Elena said nothing. "Hey, we were just going out to dinner. Would you like to join us?"

Elena's eyes went wide, but she didn't comment. "Sure," he answered, knowing he didn't have a good enough excuse to say no. "I can follow you."

"Nonsense," Stefan said, shaking his head. "You can ride with us. You're car will be here when we get back. Let me take care of this and then we can go," he said and kissed Elena's forehead before leaving the room.

The tension in the room magnified as Damon and Elena stared at one another. Damon had a million and one questions for her, but nothing would come out of his mouth. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights and her mind was going a mile a minute, trying to understand what was going on. "Elena-" his voice finally pulled her out of her daze.

Before either of them could say anything more, Stefan returned to the room and linked his hand with hers. "Alright, let's go. Any preference?" he asked both of them.

"No," they muttered, neither of them feeling very hungry anymore.

Stefan got behind the wheel as the other two rounded the car and paused. "Go ahead," Elena said, gesturing to the passenger door. Without waiting for a response, she opened the door to the backseat and slid in. She sat behind Damon, figuring that it would be easier if they couldn't see each other for as long as possible. She knew he was still trying to process reality just like she was.

"I can't believe we've been living in the same city for god knows how long," Stefan mused. "It sure is a small world after all."

"Yeah, it is," Damon agreed, catching Elena's reflection in the side mirror.

"How long have you been here?" he asked.

"Not long. I just moved from Colorado a few months ago."

Stefan shook his head and grinned. "Still, out of all the places you could have gone, you picked here. That's got to mean something, right?"

Damon glanced down at the side mirror again and his eyes met Elena's as he said, "Yes it does."

She looked away and closed her eyes. "Then again, I'm surprised you came back to Virginia."

"I'll come back now that he's gone," he muttered, his tone bitter and full of pain. Elena's heart broke, remembering what Stefan had told him about Damon's rough childhood. He shook his head and rolled his shoulders. "How about we agree not to talk about him, okay?"

Stefan nodded. "That's fair."

The short ride was filled with Stefan's incessant chatter as he rattled off things that Damon had missed during his teenaged years. Damon and Elena did most of the listening, adding a few things here and there to keep the car from falling into an awkward silence. The tension in the air was thick enough to drown them both. The moment Stefan parked, Elena bolted from the car. The ride had made her slightly nauseous as well, a sign that the pregnancy was far from false. She sighed as she followed them inside where they were led to a table booth. She slid in next to Stefan as Damon sat on the other side.

"Anything here is good," Stefan assured Damon as he skimmed the menu.

"Thanks," he said. His eyes slid to Elena who was fidgeting in her seat. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

She swallowed hard and gave a weak nod. "I'll be fine."

Stefan reached for her hand and gave it a light squeeze. "I can call your father in the morning and see who he recommends."

She shook her head at that. "That would defeat the purpose of surprising everyone. You know he can't keep a secret like that from my mother." She shrugged and looked up at him. "Besides, whoever we make an appointment with will get us in the moment I tell them my name."

"Why's that?" Damon asked, curious.

"Her father is Grayson Gilbert. One of the best doctors in the country."

Damon nodded. He had heard the name once or twice. Growing up not to far from Richmond had enabled him to see articles with the doctor's name on it. "Sounds familiar."

Elena rolled her eyes. "It's kind of annoying, but it has it's perks."

They lapsed into silence as they looked over their menus. They didn't speak again until the waitress came to take their orders. "So Damon. Are you seeing anyone?" Stefan asked, causing Elena to go very still.

Damon was careful to keep his eyes on his brother. "No."

"No?" he asked with a grin. "I find that hard to believe."

Damon gave a shrug of indifference. "I've been moving around a lot. I didn't think getting tied down was a good idea."

Stefan shook his head, a smirk on his lips. "Meaning you just haven't found the right one yet."

Damon's eyes moved to Elena's again, but he didn't comment. Instead, he gave a heavy sigh of relief as the waitress came back with their drinks. He took a deep drink and set the half empty glass down before clearing his throat and looking at Stefan again. "So little brother, what to you do for a living?"

Stefan beamed with pride as he answered the question. "I'm an architect. I got an internship straight out of college and instead of completing it, they offered me a job a few weeks in. I've been designing buildings ever since."

"And you're still living in Richmond?"

"I don't do big jobs," he informed Damon. "Most of the ones I work on are collaborations while I build my portfolio and business savvy. They let me work out of the house for the most part. There are a few business trips to New York, but they're never more than five days at one time." He stopped and put his arm around Elena's shoulders. "And they've been giving me more and more projects which usually leads to a promotion."

Damon gave a lopsided smile. Listening to Stefan talk about his best projects so far brought him back to their childhood. He remembered his brother loved to draw and nine times out of ten, the pictures were of buildings. Elena noticed his smile and couldn't help but stare at him. He looked like the Damon she had met in the bar, relaxed and comfortable. Damon's eyes moved to hers again and he straightened when he realized she had been studying him.

"What about you?" he asked her since Stefan had finished talking.

"I'm a full time student."

"What are you studying?"

Elena gave a slight grin. She was known for changing her interests by the day. She had always wanted to be a teacher, but there were so many other interesting things out there to study that she wasn't quite sure. "At the moment, teaching. I'm close to getting my associates."

"Really?" he asked, a little surprised by that.

She nodded. "I started a little late. I took time off to find myself and enjoy life."

"And I'm happy she did because her journey led her to me," Stefan said and dropped a kiss onto her cheek.

And just like that, the tension was back. Damon downed the rest of his drink and clutched the glass. Like a mind reader, the waitress appeared with another glass of scotch. "What about you, Damon? What do you do that allows you to travel so frequently?" Stefan asked.

"A little of this, a little of that," he answered. Elena could sense that he had mentally pulled away, but she wasn't sure if it was because of the affection he had witnessed or something else.

"Such as...?" Stefan prompted.

Damon drank a little more and took a deep breath. "Whatever is available. Most of the time it's writing. Sometimes it's painting and photography, but mostly just the writing. I go to where the work is, although, like you, most of it I can do from wherever."

Elena's eyes widened in awe. She had always wanted to try her hand at writing, but never had gotten around to it. "Anything we would know?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Most of it is for newspaper columns. Kind of like a freelance writer who gets the pieces that nobody else wants or the paper needs to fill space for the day. I've written a few screenplays, but only one's been taken seriously."

"Has it been adapted?" Stefan asked.

"It's still being looked over."

"Writing, photography, and art. Is there anything you don't do?" Elena asked, completely captivated with the facts she had learned about him.

"You'll just have to see, won't you?" he asked, giving her another peek at the Damon she had originally met.

Before either of them said anything else, the waitress came back with their food. It was relatively silent while they ate. Damon spoke about a few places he had lived in, but even then the details were vague. When their plates were cleared, Stefan motioned for Elena to stand up. "I'll be right back," he assured her and headed off to the bathroom.

Elena sat down slowly, her gaze locked on Damon's. "So you're married," he said quietly.

"Damon-"

"That's funny, because I distinctly remember you without a ring."

She could hear the pain clear in his voice. "I don't want to have this discussion here."

"You're married to _my brother_, Elena. What were you even doing at the bar without your wedding ring?"

She shook her head. "I was engaged at the time. I know that doesn't make it any better, but we weren't married then."

"You cheated on him. And you can't blame that on me. You're the one that came to me that night. I had left you in the cab. It was your-"

"I know that!" she hissed and took a deep breath.

He stared at her, but said nothing else. He didn't know what to say and even if he did, he saw Stefan coming back to the table. "Did you guys want desert?" he asked, sliding back into the booth.

Elena shook her head as Damon said, "No thank you."

After the bill was paid, the trio headed back to the car and began to drive home. Once again, Stefan kept the car from being submersed in silence. Elena was amazed at how he kept finding more things to talk about. Once they were in the driveway, they stood there between the two cars. "I'm so glad you came," Stefan said.

He nodded, "Thank you for inviting me."

"Maybe we could do lunch soon, just the two of us."

"I'd like that."

"Great, I'll call you soon," he said and stepped forward to hug his brother. "I really am glad you're here."

Damon said nothing as Stefan pulled back and he looked at Elena. They stepped forward awkwardly until they were in each other's arms. Elena couldn't deny the sparks that were shooting up and down her spine at the feel of his arms around her. "Congratulations again," he said as he stepped back.

"Thank you," she whispered, closing her eyes briefly.

Stefan and Elena moved to stand in front of the cars as Damon got into his car and backed out of the driveway. "I got my brother back and found out I'm having a child all in one day. Am I the luckiest guy or what?" Stefan asked once Damon's car was out of sight. He pulled Elena into a hug from behind and placed his hands on her stomach.

She swallowed hard, those piercing blue orbs the only thing in her line of vision. "Yeah," she answered and cleared her throat. "So lucky."


	8. Chapter 8

**a/n: okay, another chapter with Stefan. I had to at least let him be there for a doctor's appointment...and don't worry, Damon will get his chance to be there for some. The next chapter will be pretty much all Delena and it will be the chapter you've all been waiting for :) Now, I know absolutely nothing about pregnancies other than they last for about nine months lol so I'm having to do some resesarch. Any pointers would be much appreciated :)**

EIGHT

As Monday morning rolled around, Elena called her OBGYN and made an appointment. Just as she predicted, they were more than happy to see her that day. Since her doctor had been a long time friend of her father's, she had requested that the appointment not be spoken about. It would only be a day or two before she told her family anyway, but she wanted everyone to find out from them at the same time.

"Are you ready?" Stefan asked as he leaned against the doorway to the bedroom.

She nodded slowly and got to her feet. "Whatever they have to say, I hope they have something that will keep the nausea at bay. It's getting really old, really fast," she grumbled as she slipped on her flats.

Stefan grinned. He had only been home for the weekend and Elena had spent most of her time being sick or lying down to prevent it. "We can look up remedies later," he assured her and watched as she walked over to him.

"Okay."

As they began to drive to the doctor, Elena sent a message to Caroline. _On the way to the doctor. I'll let you know soon._

"I thought we weren't telling anyone," Stefan said with a smirk.

"You told your brother," she countered and mentally winced. She had spent the weekend trying to get her mind off of him. "Anyway, she's the one that bought the tests for me and made me take them."

"Remind me to thank her later," Stefan said.

Elena nodded and leaned back in her seat. She took a deep breath and let her eyes close, choosing to remain silent for the rest of the ride. When they arrived at the doctor's office, Elena forced a smile and walked up to the receptionist. She smiled brightly at Elena, recognizing her immediately. Not only had they gone to school together, but her father was Elena's doctor. "Hey Elena."

"Hi Sam," she replied.

"My fath-" she stopped and smiled widely. "Doctor Corbin will be ready for you shortly. He's just finishing up his other appointment."

Elena nodded and took the clipboard of paperwork she needed to fill out. "Thanks," she said and led Stefan to the waiting room.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked, keeping his voice low as they sat.

She looked up at him and smiled softly. "Yeah, I'm just nervous I guess."

"Nervous? About what?" he asked.

She sighed and started filling out the paperwork. "We didn't plan this. I know you've always wanted children, but I'm still getting used to the idea." She sighed again and stopped writing. "I don't know, blame it on the hormones," she added and was silent again.

Stefan smiled and watched her fill out the forms. He knew that something was off about her and it wasn't because of the hormones. There was something bothering her and he knew that if he pushed, she would keep it in. If he waited, she would come to him eventually. When she was done, he took the clipboard and brought it up to the front counter. "Thank you," Sam said. "Oh, and congrats on the marriage," she added.

"Thanks," he said and headed back to Elena.

As he started to sit, a nurse opened the door to the back rooms and called her name. "Right this way Miss Gilbert."

"Actually it's Mrs. Salvatore now," Stefan corrected.

She grinned from ear-to-ear. "Oh that's right. Doctor Cobin told us about that. Congratulations," she said and did the usual round of pre-appointment exams. When everything was done, Stefan and Elena followed her to one of the exam rooms. "I just need you to sit and relax, the doctor should be ready to see you shortly," she said and smiled as she left the room.

Elena put her purse on the floor near the chair where Stefan was sitting and then moved to sit on the table. Once she sat on the edge of the table and looked over at Stefan. "Sorry for snapping at your earlier."

He shrugged. "From what I gather there's going to be a lot of that in my future."

She smirked and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ears. The doctor came in before she had the chance to comment. He smiled at both of them. "Congratulations," he said to both of them as he held the chart before him. "On the marriage and the baby."

"Well, that's why we're here, Doc," Stefan said, smiling back at him. "To find out if we're really having said baby."

"From the symptoms Elena wrote down on her paperwork, I'm almost a hundred percent certain that's exactly what's happening." He turned to Elena and gave a wide grin. "You're father's going to be very mad that I got to know first. Thank you so much for that," he said and winked at her.

Elena smirked back, knowing it was true. Doctor Corbin and her father had always had a friendly competitive nature between them. "I can imagine."

"Alright, Elena," he said, placing the chart down on the counter behind him. "I'm going to take a blood sample and send it to the lab. After that, I'll do an ultrasound and you'll have the results before you leave here today, okay?"

"Sounds good," she said and did as he had instructed.

She stuck out her arm as he wrapped the piece of rubber above the bend in her elbow. Once her veins were large enough to see, he took the blood sample. "I'll be right back," he said once he had cleaned up. He took the vial to the lab that was at the back of the facility and came back to do the ultrasound. "Alright, now I'd like you to lie back and relax for me," he said and smiled at them.

Stefan moved to stand by her head, grabbing her hand as he did so. He watched as the doctor rolled up Elena's shirt after giving her time to push her pants off of her hips. She gasped as he squirted the cold jelly onto her stomach and moved it around with his gloved hand. He pressed a few buttons on the machine that he had rolled over from the corner of the room and moved the wand to her stomach as well. "Alright, let's see," he said as he began to move the device over her skin. He stopped and pressed a few more buttons before turning the screen towards them. He pointed to a spot on the screen and said, "This is your baby."

Stefan and Elena stared at it in awe. There were no words to describe the pure joy that washed over them both. All their fears and concerns had gone away in an instant as they stared at the screen. "Wow. Our baby," Stefan breathed.

His words made Elena's reality snap back into place and she cleared her throat.

"Boy or girl?" he asked eagerly.

Doctor Corbin chuckled and put the wand away. "It's much to early to tell. But I can print out some snap shots of this for you to keep and show your family. And from what I can tell, you're about six weeks along."

"I'll be right back," Stefan said and excused himself, a smile plastered on his face.

As the doctor began to wipe her stomach, Elena took a deep breath and asked the question she had been dreading. "Doctor Corbin, how soon can you do a paternity test?"

He stopped what he was doing and looked up at her. "About the same time we're able to determine gender. Around five months, give or take."

She nodded. "What do you need for it?" She knew he was disappointed in her; she could feel it in his gaze.

"A strand of hair or something with their saliva on it," he answered and sighed. "Elena-"

"I need you to keep this between you and me, Doctor. Stefan cannot find out about this. Not yet."

He gave a stiff nod and stood up. "I won't say a word. Just call me when you have the samples and I will make sure I'm here to collect them personally."

"Thank you," she said and took the damp cloth he offered so she could finish wiping the gel off of her stomach.

"I just need you to sign out and I'll have your pictures by then," he said and made a quick exit.

Stefan entered the room once more, that grin still firmly in place. "Where did you go?" she asked.

"I called Caroline. She's planning a party as we speak. She said Wednesday everything would be ready. Then I called Damon and set up that lunch we talked about."

"You have his number?"

"I emailed him Saturday morning when I realized we had forgotten to exchange information. Anyway, I'll run you home and then meet him."

Elena agreed and walked with Stefan to the desk on the outgoing patient side. Stefan paid the copay while she looked down at her stomach. Just as they were finished, Doctor Corbin came out of his lab and handed them several copies of the sonogram. "I figured each of your loved ones will want a copy. This is easier than your father calling me," he said and winked at them. "I'll be calling about scheduling regular appointments soon," he added and handed her a jar. "Prenatal vitamins. One in the morning and one at night."

"Thank you," she said and let Stefan lead her to the car.

* * *

Damon sat at a table in the bistro, waiting for Stefan to arrive. They were meeting for lunch at a place that wasn't too far from his condo. Ever since Elena had opened the door, Damon had been contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to be a part of his brother's life. He was going to leave it up to fate as he normally did and see how the day went. He figured some alone time with Stefan would help him make the decision easier for him.

"Thanks for meeting me on such short notice," Stefan said as he took a seat across the table, pulling Damon from his thoughts.

"It's no big deal," he answered. "I wasn't really doing anything."

"Have you been to this place before?" Stefan asked as he looked over the menu.

"A few times. It's close to my place and it's cheap."

"Any good?"

"Yeah."

After they ordered, Stefan moved on to the next topic. "I'm sorry about Elena the other day. She's not usually so...out of it," he concluded, trying to find the right way to phrase that. "That day was just full of surprises for her."

Damon snorted. "You're telling me," he muttered and shrugged. "It's alright, I could tell she wasn't being herself. She seems like a fun girl." Damon mentally winced at the way it sounded.

"She's amazing," Stefan said and smiled before picking up the piece of paper that he hadn't noticed before. "Anyway, I'm hoping that you'll come over to the house on Wednesday. We want to introduce you to her family and our friends." He handed Damon the sonogram and grinned more. "And I'm really hoping that you'll be around long enough to get to know your niece or nephew."

Damon was speechless as he stared at the photo in his hands. He had never seen one of these before, but he knew exactly where the baby was. "Wow," he breathed, his mind reeling over the fact that he could see it. It was even more amazing that the child in the picture could be _his _child. The joy that was beginning to surface went away as he looked back up at Stefan's face. His brother was so happy. After the childhood they had had, he wanted Stefan to stay that way.

Even as he thought that, he realized that fate had made his decision for him after all. He couldn't stay in town and be a part of Stefan's life. Especially if that meant having to sit back and watch him play father to what he was more than sure was his child. With that, he put the picture down and concentrated on his brother. If all went well, this would be the last time they saw each other.


	9. Chapter 9

**a/n: ;)**

******And I started posting yet another new story for those of you that are interested. It's called Vices and Virtues. It's a slight combination of True Blood and TVD :)**  


NINE

Elena poured two cups of coffee and made them the way she and Stefan liked. Just as she had finished, he came downstairs to join her. "Are you even supposed to have that?" he asked, watching as she held the warm mug between both hands.

She frowned and looked at the dark brown liquid. "Well, I guess that solves the mystery of what I'm doing today," she mumbled.

"Which would be...?" Stefan prompted.

"I will be going out to get any baby book I can so I don't have to bug Dr. Corbin any more than I have to."

"That sounds a lot more appealing than the meetings I have planned for today."

"What time do you think you'll be home?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Probably not until really late. I moved all of tomorrow's meetings to today so that I could have the whole day off to help Caroline and spend some time with you before the party."

Elena's brows arched at that. "Caroline's going to let you help?"

He grinned and gave a slight shrug. "I guess I'll find out when I try to do it," he said and sighed as his phone started to ring. "Alright, Tyler's here. I better get going," he added and moved around the counter to drop a kiss onto her cheek. "Hopefully you'll still be awake when I come back. Love you," he said and then he was out the door before she could even respond.

Before Elena could lose her nerve and crawl back into bed for the remainder of the day, she hunted down her cell and called Caroline. "I was just going to call you," the blonde answered.

"What about?"

"I want to shop."

Elena laughed softly. "I actually wanted to go to a book store to get some pregnancy books."

"Perfect. Meet me at the mall in an hour?"

"Sounds good."

"Alright, see you then," Caroline said and hung up. Elena set her phone on the counter and headed upstairs to get ready.

* * *

Since Caroline was a true believer in the "shop til you drop" mentality, they had spent the better part of the day doing just that. She had come out with bags of clothes and other goodies while Elena splurged on books and baby things that she was sure she wouldn't find anywhere else. Once they had finished their lunch, Elena knew there would be more shopping, but she was more than ready to call it a day and start reading. That, and the temptation to talk to Caroline was getting to be too much.

"You don't want to shop anymore do you?" Caroline asked as she paid the bill.

Elena smiled and shook her head. "I know you're not nearly done, but I'm really anxious to start reading."

The blonde shrugged as they started walking back to the car. They had taken Elena's from the mall to the restaurant. "The mall will always be there."

"Thanks again for throwing the party."

"Thanks for getting pregnant so I could," she said, grinning at Elena from the passenger seat. "Alright, I'll be by around noon tomorrow so I can start setting up. The caterer..." As she went on about how tomorrow was going to go, Elena tuned her out and smiled as she drove back to the mall for Caroline's car.

"See you tomorrow," Elena said as her friend slid out of the car. She waved and Elena began to drive away. As she circled the parking lot in search of the exit to the road, she thought of Damon. The mall was the halfway point between her house and his apartment if she remembered things correctly. She shuddered as she thought of their short talk at dinner the other night and before she knew it, she was on the road heading in that direction.

Although she was more than certain she remembered how to get to his place, Elena was still surprised at exactly how easily she found the place. After a moment of silent pep talk, she got out of her car and marched up to the building. As the elevator climbed to the right floor, Elena became extremely nervous. She wondered if this was a good idea even though she knew they needed to have this discussion before it was too late. Before she could chicken out, she knocked on his door and waited.

Damon opened the door and did a double take, his eyes widening at the sight of her. "Elena?" he asked, looking around the hall.

"We need to talk," she said and pushed past him into the apartment. She stopped after a few steps as she saw piles of boxes. It was almost as if he were moving. "Are you packing?" she asked, slowly turning around to look at him.

Damon shut the door slowly and rested his back against it once he had turned towards her. "It would appear that way, yes," he replied sarcastically.

"Why?"

"I don't owe you an explanation," he said before moving past her to continue working on the box he had been in the process of packing.

Elena bit her lip at that. He was right, he didn't owe her anything. "What about Stefan? Were you going to tell him?"

Damon didn't say anything, giving Elena her answer.

"Damon, you can't leave."

"Why not?" he asked, looking up at her. His eyes were piercing into hers, daring her to be the first to acknowledge it.

Elena knew exactly what he wanted to hear, but she wasn't ready to blurt it out like that. Especially when it looked like they were going to argue at the moment. "Because you and Stefan just got reunited."

Damon snorted and continued packing. "He survived this long without me, I'm sure he'll have no problem doing it again."

Elena narrowed her eyes at him. "If I hadn't shown up you would have just left. You wouldn't even have said goodbye."

Again, Damon's lack of response spoke volumes. Elena could only stare at him. Frustration and anger at both herself and Damon were rising to the surface. She didn't know what to say or what to do, but she knew she couldn't let him leave. Fortunately, Damon spoke again, allowing her to stop sorting through her thoughts.

"You're married," he stated. He had stopped packing and stood up, but he wasn't looking at her.

Elena sighed, "We had this discussion-"

"I know. You were only engaged then. But that still doesn't explain why you decided to come back here that night." His eyes met hers again and she could feel her heart breaking from the pain in those twin blue orbs. "I want to know why."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "That night, I ended up at the bar because I had every intention of leaving Stefan. Or at least, that's what I thought I wanted. I don't know," she babbled, shaking her head.

"So what, you thought that I was just something to distract you for the night so you could have your last thrill before you walked down the aisle? How many times have you done this? How many others?"

Elena shook her head rapidly. "No, it wasn't like that. There haven't been any others." She looked down at her hands, staring at the ring for a brief moment before looking back up at Damon. "I don't know what I expected to get from running away. It didn't help me solve anything."

"So what do you want, Elena? Why are you here?"

"I told you. We need to talk."

"Alright, let's talk," he said, stepping away from the pile of boxes only to end up closer to her as they stood in entry way.

She shook her head. "Only if you promise to stick around. Or at least say goodbye to Stefan."

"I can't."

"Can't or won't?" she asked, putting a bit of anger in her voice.

Damon took a deep breath and, unable to keep quiet any longer, let her in on what he had been thinking about nonstop since Stefan showed him the sonogram. "You want the truth? Here it is. I can't stay here and watch you and Stefan. I can't stay here and pretend that I don't want you, Elena, because I do. You told me when you left that morning that if it was meant to be, we'd see each other again. I even told you that I believe in fate more than the average person and I meant that with all my heart." He paused and took a step forward. "But most importantly, I can't stay here and watch Stefan play the father role to what I'm pretty sure is my kid."

Elena absorbed is words and nodded slowly. "I'm pretty sure it's yours too," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. She saw the shock on Damon's face and he blinked, wondering if he had heard her right. "I was never going to deny that," she added. She didn't want to mention the paternity test. That was something she wanted to know before she told anyone.

Damon smirked, but Elena could tell that there was pain behind it. "It's not like it really matters does it? You're still married to my brother."

"Do you want me to tell him? Is that what this is about?"

"No," he answered quickly. "I just can't get over the fact that there's only one girl I've met who is perfect for me and she's married to my brother. It's like the universe is determined to make my life miserable," he said and shook his head. "So no, I don't want you to tell Stefan. He deserves to be happy."

"And you don't?" she asked.

His eyes narrowed, trying to decide what she meant by that. "Obviously not."

Tears clouded her vision as she shook her head. "I'm sorry."

"For what? You didn't make me feel this way. Which is why I have to go."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at him. "Don't," she breathed.

Damon moved forward; Elena moved back. As her back flattened against the wall, Damon placed a hand by the side of her head, his body so close she could feel the heat of him. "Give me a reason to stay."

She blinked up at him, noticing that he was slowly but surely closing the distance between them. "Stefan," she whispered.

He shook his head once and stopped moving. "I can't stay, Elena. I want you and I'm usually take what I want, no excuses."

Her eyes fluttered as she straightened up, meeting his gaze evenly. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't deny the pull between them. The same feeling that told her to run to him that night was telling her to run to him now. "Then what are you waiting for?" she asked in a soft voice.

Damon didn't give her a chance to change her mind as he closed the gap between them and pressed his lips firmly to hers. His body pinned her to the wall as his hands cupped her face, his fingers sinking into her hair. Elena's hand rose to rest on his biceps, her fingers clenching around the material. Her eyes squeezed shut as she kissed him back with everything she had. In all her time with Stefan there had never been as much passion as there was between her and Damon now.

Their mouths moved as one as their tongues battled for dominance. Every inch of her body came alive from his touch just as hers had made him come alive. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, that it would cost him his brother in the end, but at the moment, he didn't care. All that mattered was Elena and the fact that she wanted him too.

Abruptly, Elena broke the kiss, moving her head to the side so that their cheeks fused together while they caught their breath. The heat of the moment passed the longer they stood there not saying anything. When Damon and withdrawn completely, Elena tugged at the hem of her shirt and ran her hand through her hair. "So I'll see you at the party tomorrow?" she asked, trying her best to avoid his eyes.

Damon nodded, unable to speak. With that, Elena slipped out the door, leaving him alone to start unpacking.


	10. Chapter 10

**a/n: sorry for the delay. I had no idea what I wanted the party to be like and when I finished it, I realized I had to rework my outline. Once I get that figured out, I should be back to posting somewhat regularly again. Enjoy :)**

TEN

Elena had left Caroline and Stefan alone downstairs to decorate. She had mumbled something about not feeling well and headed up to her room, but she was pretty sure that neither of them noticed. Caroline had already corrected at her a few times for hanging things up the wrong way. Not to mention that her and Stefan had been too busy talking about all things baby to even notice that Elena wasn't in the right frame of mind. It irked her that Caroline and Stefan were more excited about the baby than she was. Then again, if the circumstances had been different...

Elena sighed heavily and leaned back against the wall. She was sitting at the bench by her window, staring outside. Since she left Damon's, she had been unable to focus. She was truly surprised that she made it home. Although, not as surprised as she was to have found the strength to be able to pull herself away from his kiss. Elena closed her eyes as she felt the ghost of his lips against hers. No matter how many times she had tried to clear her mind or distract herself, she always ended up reliving their kiss.

"Elena?" Stefan's voice called softly.

Elena's head whirled around to the direction of the door and she gave him a small smile, but she couldn't hide the pain in her eyes. "Yes?"

"Are you okay?" he asked, coming to take a seat on the other end of the bench. He pulled her feet into his lap while he waited for her answer.

"Yeah," she said, knowing that he would be able to tell that was a lie.

"Is something wrong with the baby?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Baby's fine," she assured him.

"Then what is it, Elena?" he asked, getting to his feet. "You've been acting strange since before the wedding. I need you to tell me what's going on with you. Talk to me."

"I can't," Elena said softly. "Not yet."

Stefan sensed that she was on the verge of shutting him out and he decided not to press any further. "But you will talk to me, right? Promise?"

"Promise," she replied.

He sighed. Next time, he was definitely sending Caroline up to talk to her. If Elena was going to open up to anyone, it would be her. "I need to run to the store for a few things. Need anything?"

"No thank you."

He nodded and started moving towards the door. "Caroline will still be here though. She's still decorating."

"Thanks," Elena said and turned her attention back to the window as Stefan left.

"Did she say anything?" Caroline asked as Stefan came back down to the living room.

"No. She said she can't tell me just yet. I don't even know what that's supposed to mean."

"Told you you should have sent me up there."

"I know."

"Then again she's been shutting me out too."

"Maybe it's something to do with the hormones?"

Caroline shrugged. "I don't know. I know mood swings are a big part of it, but I don't think that's what it is. I will talk to her, okay? Don't worry too much," she said, patting Stefan on the shoulder. "Whatever it is, she'll come around. She always does."

Stefan nodded and smiled at her before heading out to his car. The fact was, he was afraid of what Elena was keeping to herself. Whatever it was, it was big and if it had her this depressed, he knew it didn't bode well for himself.

* * *

Elena took her time getting ready. When she came down, Caroline had just put the finishing touches on the decor. Elena looked around and frowned. "I thought this party was to announce that I'm pregnant."

"It is, but if I did the decor in baby things, people would guess right off the bat," she explained. "Which ruins the surprise."

Elena thought about that and nodded. "Makes sense."

"Are you feeling better?" she asked. "Sorry I snapped at you earlier."

"It's okay," Elena answered and smiled at her friend. "And yes, I am feeling better."

"Good, because the caterer is on the way and I still need to get ready."

"I can deal with the caterer," Elena offered, knowing that that was what Caroline was going to ask next anyway.

"Would you?"

Elena shook her head and smiled. "Go get ready. I'll make sure everything is put away to your standards."

"Thanks!" Caroline said before grabbing her bag that was in front of the door. With that, she headed upstairs to get ready.

The moment she heard the guest bathroom door close, the doorbell rang. She opened it to Tyler who was on his cell. As he ended the conversation, he peered around Elena's shoulders and came in. "So, is this a promotion party?" he asked.

Elena smirked. Of course that's what everyone was going to think. "You'll just have to wait and see," she said, grinning wider at his pout.

"That's so not fair."

"Yeah, well. Life's not fair," she said, trying to keep her smile on her face.

"Says the woman who has it all," he countered and then shook his head. "Sorry," he mumbled and looked around again. "Is Caroline here?"

Elena smirked again. "She's upstairs getting ready."

He nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets, something he did when he was nervous. "H-has she said anything about me?"

"Maybe."

He narrowed his eyes at Elena. "Please?"

She placed her hand on his shoulder and shook her head. "You know I'm not allowed to tell you anything."

"Just this once?"

"You'll find out soon," she said, repeating herself from earlier as she heard a truck stopping near the house.

"What is it with you guys and mystery lately? I don't like it," he grumbled.

"Well, like it or not, I need help setting up."

While the two of them helped the caterer's set up in the dining room and kitchen, Caroline came down to resume her duties as "boss." By the time everything was in it's place, Stefan returned. "Place looks great."

"I thought I told everyone to be here at six?" Caroline said looking at the time before Elena.

"They'll be here," she assured them.

"They're cutting it a little close," she mumbled and glanced at Tyler who was talking to Stefan, trying to get him to tell him if he got promoted without him knowing.

"He asked if you said anything about him."

"And what did you tell him?"

"That he'd find out soon. Speaking of, I think we could probably arrange that double date sometime this week."

"Really?"

"Sure," Elena said. "I just have to mention it to Stefan and we'll work something out."

"You think Tyler would actually do it?"

"He will," Elena said and turned her head to look out the window. As usual, everyone arrived at the same time. "See, told you they'd be here," she said.

Jeremy and Anna were the first ones in followed by Jenna, Alaric, Grayson, and Miranda. "John called. He said he and Isobel would be running late," Miranda explained to Caroline as she hugged Elena.

"Did they say why?" Elena asked.

Grayson shook his head. "Just that they were on the other side of town and lost track of time," he answered, smirking.

"Sorry we missed your homecoming," Miranda added.

"It's okay. How was your trip?"

"Amazing. I can't get over the spa there. It's the best," she said and smiled as Stefan approached them.

"Can I borrow Elena for a moment?" he asked.

He pulled her into the dining room and dropped his smile. "Have you heard from Damon yet?"

Elena shook her head. All day she had had that sinking feeling that he wasn't going to show. Her stomach had been twisted up in knots wondering if he had left like he had planned or if he had stayed. "I'll call him," she said and slid out the front door before Stefan could protest.

The moment she stepped onto the driveway, John and Isobel got out of their car. "So I guess we're not actually late," Isobel said and smiled. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm waiting on one last person. I wanted to make sure they're still coming."

John and Isobel both looked at the cars around the house. "Who's missing?" John asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. Just go inside and I'll be in soon," Elena said and watched as they went into the house. With a deep breath, Elena pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Damon's number. Half of her had been hoping he wouldn't show up because she didn't know how to deal with him after the previous day while the other half never wanted him to leave her sight again. "Come on, pick up," she mumbled only to be greeted by his voicemail.

She let out a slow breath and waited a minute before calling him again. "Damn it," she hissed and turned to look back into the house.

"What are you doing out here?"

Elena jumped and whirled around to see him walking towards her. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"I asked first," he said with a grin.

She placed her hand over her racing heart and took a deep breath. "You're not supposed to scare the pregnant lady."

His grin disappeared and he took a step froward. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I was out here, calling you."

"Why?"

"Because I didn't know if you were coming or not," she answered, her voice low.

He nodded and looked towards her house. He could see the other guests through the window. "You convinced me to stay," he said, looking at her.

Elena looked down at the ground as she felt her cheeks flush with heat. "We can't talk about that. Not now."

"But we will?" he asked, taking another step forward, putting himself dangerously close to her.

She looked up, her eyes full of fright and desire, and nodded slowly. "We will," she promised and he took a step back, giving her room to breathe.

"So should we go in?"

Elena nodded and then started to move, only to stop after a step. "Actually, I should probably give you the short version on my family first."

"That's comforting."

She smiled lightly. "They can be intimidating in the sense that they're all close. It might feel like you're suffocating at first, but you get used to it." She paused to smile. "At least that's what Stefan told me it was like." She met his gaze again and cleared her throat. "The couple who raised me are actually my aunt and uncle. My brother's father is my biological father and Isobel is my biological mother. Long story short, they were young and couldn't do it so Grayson and Miranda took me in. Jenna is Miranda's sister, Alaric is her husband. Jeremy is my cousin although we were raised as siblings. Caroline is my best friend and Tyler is Stefan's best friend. Does that make sense?"

Damon blinked a few times and ran a hand through his hair. "It will eventually."

"Good, let's go before they send out a search party," she said and started moving again.

"When are you going to tell them?" Damon asked.

"We're going to tell them about you immediately so, be prepared. As for the baby, probably after dinner," she said and shrugged. "We haven't really planned that out yet."

Elena opened the door and walked inside. Damon took a deep breath and followed her. Just like in all the movies, everyone seemed to stop talking when they noticed his presence. All eyes were on him and it made him very anxious. He stared back at all of them, trying to guess who was who, but came up short.

Stefan appeared by his side and looked at everyone. "Guys, I'd like to introduce you to someone. Everyone, this is Damon Salvatore, my older brother." Elena looked around to see their reactions. She saw jaws dropping, eyes popping, and every other small gesture of surprise. "Damon, this is everyone," he said and started pointing to people and saying their name.

Jeremy was the first to step forward and shake Damon's hand. "Don't be shy, man. Come on," he said and pulled Damon over to the "guy" corner. Damon sought Elena's gaze and she gave him a reassuring smile, one that faded the instant he turned around. She excused herself to the bathroom, but Caroline was right on her heels.

"Oh my god, he has a brother!" she squealed. "And he is serious eye candy. Is he seeing anyone?"

Elena paused, her stomach doing flips. That question disturbed her on so many levels because she knew Caroline. Elena swallowed thickly; she was jealous. "Not that I know of."

"Well if he is, that is one lucky lady," she said and licked her lips to Elena's horror. "Anyway, were you serious about this week? I think Saturday would be perfect."

Elena shook her head, trying to wrap her mind around Caroline's words. A bit of relief went through her as she realized her friend was intent on pursuing Tyler. "Yes, I was serious. I'll talk to Stefan," she said and opened the bathroom door. "Now shoo, I have to pee."

"You better tell them soon, because I'm about to go crazy keeping this to myself," Caroline warned with a smile before she took off down the hall to join the others again.

Elena took a few moments to pull herself together and brace herself for what was to come. When she was done, she headed back into the main room and announced that they would be serving dinner shortly.

* * *

By the end of dinner, Stefan clanked his knife lightly against his glass and rose to his feet. Elena stood up beside him and waited for the talking to die down. When he had everyone's attention, he looped an arm around Elena's waist and smiled. "Alright, we have another announcement for you."

"I knew it," Tyler mumbled, earning a chuckle from Stefan.

Elena shook her head glanced around at the others. She and Stefan had decided earlier that she would be the one to break the news since he had introduced Damon. A part of her wondered if having him here for this was such a good idea. She hadn't realized it before then, but she couldn't imagine what he was going through, watching them announce her pregnancy, but having to stay quite about it the entire time.

Elena swallowed hard, realizing everyone was looking at her and she pulled herself together. She had long since forgotten the speech she had planned out, deciding to go with the alternative method; blurting it out. "I'm pregnant."

Gasps went around the table before it turned to stunned silence. After a few seconds, everyone was on their feet, moving around the table to hug and congratulate the couple.

* * *

For the rest of the night, Elena had found herself, whether it was intentional or not, on the opposite side of the room as Damon. She didn't trust herself to be around him with other people around, but that didn't stop them both from shooting longing looks at one another when they thought no one else was looking.

The problem was that someone _was _looking.

Isobel pulled her into a tight hug and stepped back to cup her face. "Wow. I can't believe you're having a baby."

"Me neither," she answered.

Isobel linked their fingers and gave a slight tug. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Elena nodded and followed her outside. Once they were walking, Isobel let go of her hand, but stayed silent. "What are we doing out here?"

"I want to talk to you. Away from the others."

Elena took a deep breath; this wasn't going to end well. "About?"

"Stefan's brother."

Elena stopped moving and turned to face the older woman. "What about him?" she asked, her voice guarded.

"You tell me."

Elena narrowed her eyes.

"I saw the looks the two of you have been exchanging all night. Those aren't the looks between friends, those are the looks between lovers."

Elena bit her lip, but said nothing. There was nothing to say because Isobel was right. Her eyes closed as she felt tears gathering and in the next instant, Isobel's arms were around her.

"Whatever it is, I want you to talk to me, okay? I'm not going to make you do it tonight, but soon."

Elena nodded against her shoulder. She needed someone to talk to and as much as she wanted that someone to be Caroline, she knew it wasn't a good idea. Especially not when she and Stefan were close too. "Okay." Isobel held her for a bit longer, her hand stroking Elena's back until the tears had gone away. Only then did they head back inside.


	11. Chapter 11

**a/n: two things, 1, I know this chapter is seriously lacking. It was one of those where nothing sounded good to me. I did try to write out the double date, but I couldn't think of anything interesting for them to talk about. 2, I'm aware that Damon isn't as assertive as he usually is. The reason he isn't like that (yet) in this story is because he and Elena hardly know each other. Do they love each other, yes, but at this stage, they're still trying to adjust. Don't worry though, he will be back to "normal" soon. The next chapter is the talk that they both have been putting off. This time they're actually going to finish their conversation :)**

ELEVEN

Elena was sitting on the couch, watching a movie when her phone rang. She had been taking a break from her homework and needed something to distract herself. With Stefan still at work, a movie sounded like the perfect idea. She had contemplated calling Caroline, but she figured the blonde would be over soon enough to get ready for their double date.

"Hello?" Elena answered, pausing the movie.

"Elena, it's Dr. Corbin." Elena stiffened at that. "I'm calling about the paternity test that you wanted to take. There is a few other options that you can do in the next couple of weeks. I could tell you about them over the phone or you could come in to see me today."

Elena looked down at herself. She was definitely not going anywhere with the lack of grooming. "Over the phone is fine."

She heard the shuffling of papers on the other line and then he cleared his throat. "There is a test that we can run on a fetus that can determine if the child will be special needs. If it is, we can even tell what type of special needs it will be. Doing this also gives us the fluids that are required for a paternity test."

"Okay," Elena said, agreeing to it already.

"There are risks."

"What kind of risks?"

"There is a one in ten chances that the procedure could result in a miscarriage. There is also the possibility that if the child was normal, the needle could cause it to become mentally challenged."

"How many times have you done this?" she asked, wanting to know the facts.

"Many times."

"Have any of the negative things happened?"

"Not to my patients, no."

Elena nodded and bit her lip, debating if the risks were worth taking. She thought of Stefan and Damon and it instantly made up her mind. "How soon can we do it?"

"Somewhere between your eighth and thirteenth week."

Elena took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Alright."

"Would you like to make the appointment now?"

"Yes please."

He was silent for a moment, but she heard the clicking of computer keys in the background. "I am going to advise that you bring someone with you. This sort of thing is hard to do alone."

Elena said nothing; she wasn't sure what to say.

"Two weeks from Monday you'll be nine weeks along. Would that day work for you?"

"That'll work."

She heard the computer keys again and then his voice. "The appointment is set up, but there is one more thing I have to say." Elena bit her lip, but waited for him to continue. "I've informed you of the risks, but I have to also recommend that you wait until the child is born. That way, there risks are nothing more than an infection."

"I understand, but it can't wait that long," Elena answered. "Look, if this is awkward for you, I could always find a different doctor. I would completely understand if this is too much."

Dr. Corbin chuckled and Elena frowned. "You do realize that your father would kill me if he knew I let you see someone else." He paused and when he spoke again, his voice was collected. "Yes, it is a little strange, but it's your life. I'm not judging you Elena."

He was, but Elena didn't really care. She was judging herself too. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll see you in two weeks," he said and hung up.

Elena put down her phone and sat there silently, staring at the movie that was still on pause. She looked down at her stomach and pulled up her shirt a bit. She placed her hand on her skin and smiled faintly. She might owe a paternity test to Damon and Stefan, but it was mostly owed to her unborn child. It would be better for everyone in the long run. Whatever the outcome, someone was going to get hurt.

Elena came back to reality and called Isobel. Since the party, she had been avoiding her and Damon. She was afraid of telling Isobel because that would make this all more real somehow. And saying goodbye to Damon had been awkward because she didn't want to and because she knew Isobel was watching. It made her wonder who else was picking up on their signals.

"Elena?" came Isobel's voice. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," she answered and frowned. "Why does everyone ask me that right off the bat?"

She heard Isobel chuckle. "It happened to me too when I was pregnant. Get used to it," she advised. "What's up?"

"I was thinking about what you said Wednesday," Elena said, her voice quiet. "I need someone to talk to."

"I can be over soon."

"No," Elena said quickly. "I have plans for today, but I'm free tomorrow. We could do lunch."

"I'd like that," she answered and then after a brief pause asked, "Are you really okay?"

Elena thought about how to answer that one, but shook her head. "I'll tell you all about it tomorrow," she said and heard Stefan's car in the driveway. "Stefan's home, I'll see you tomorrow," she added and hung up. She shut off the TV and stood just as Stefan came through the door. She put on a smile and forced herself to act normal.

* * *

Caroline came in just as Elena was coming down the stairs. "Hey," Elena said, offering her friend a smile. Since Stefan had come home, Elena seemed to cheer up a little. She had been pretending at first, but as he sat with her and told her about his day, she felt better. It was normal. She had even finished her essay and gotten ready in a reasonable amount of time and keeping her focus.

"You guys aren't ready yet? Where's Stefan?" Caroline demanded, looking around.

"Relax, Care, he's almost ready."

"Is Tyler for sure coming?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell him what it was for?"

"Yes."

Caroline's eyes went wide. "Elena! You weren't supposed-"

Elena rolled her eyes and placed her hands on Caroline's shoulders. "Would you relax? Tyler wants this, you want this. You're both too stubborn or afraid to ask each other out, so we set up a little double date. You're going to be fine. It doesn't matter what did or didn't happen that night, you want to be together now."

Caroline stared at her and then slowly started to smile. "What would I do without you?"

"Let's hope you never have to find out."

Caroline moved away and gave Elena that look that told her she was already planning something major. "You know if we make this work, we could get married and raise our kids together! We could go on double dates all the time!"

"You're getting ahead of yourself," Elena warned. This was why Caroline's relationships didn't last as long as she wanted. She was too aggressive. If she wanted something, she did whatever she had to to get her way. Most men couldn't handle it. The good thing was that Elena thought Tyler would be good for her. They had known each other long enough now and he had yet to call her crazy in anything more than a playful way.

She sighed and her excitement dwindled. "I know, but after Matt..."

"Hey, don't think about him."

Caroline shrugged. "I haven't in awhile," she said and shrugged. "I just want to find someone. I want the love that you found."

Elena froze at that and her smile disappeared. Caroline noticed immediately and opened her mouth to say something, but Stefan came down the stairs. She bit her lips and stared hard at Elena. "Hey Care," Stefan greeted. "Tyler was talking about you all day."

Caroline's gaze snapped to him and she smiled wide. "Really? What did he say?" she asked.

Elena let out a sigh of relief as Stefan distracted Caroline, giving Elena some time to collect herself and hope that Caroline let it go.

* * *

Stefan and Elena sat in silence. They were on their way home from dinner with Caroline and Tyler. They had hit it off quite well and it seemed that the awkward tension that had been lingering between them was gone. It was a nice change of pace, especially for Elena, because for an entire night she was happy. She had felt like her old self again. Even if, in the back of her mind, she had been thinking of Damon, she had enjoyed her time with Stefan. But now that they were on their way home, they could both feel the shift in the atmosphere around them. They both knew what needed to be said, but neither of them was ready to do so.

"So I've been thinking about Damon," Stefan said, causing Elena to nearly jump from her seat.

"Yeah?"

"I love that he's back in my life. There's a part of me that's always been missing him. I want to renew our relationship and build it back up." He turned to her and smiled. "I want you to be part of his life too and vice versa. I think it might be a good idea if you were to get to know him too, but by yourself."

Elena swallowed hard at that. "Okay..."

"I'm just saying that it would be okay if you guys hung out when I wasn't around. I'm gone away a lot and that would give you guys plenty of time to get to know each other better. After all, I'm sure even you have your limit with how much Caroline you can take."

Elena couldn't help but smile at that. It was true. As much as she loved her best friend, there were days where she just didn't want to deal with her. Her smile faded as she went over exactly what Stefan had said. She knew it was wrong, but she couldn't help but feel a little excited about getting permission to spend time with Damon. Alone. Immediately their last kiss came to mind and Elena squirmed in her seat.

"I mean, I hang out with Jeremy and Caroline by myself," Stefan continued. "I want you to feel that comfortable around Damon that way too."

"I think that can be arranged," she answered, trying to keep her voice even.

"I've been wanting to tell you about him for a long time."

"I wish you would have."

"I know family means a lot to you, but I knew you would have wanted to meet him. I just didn't want to get my hopes up of finding him, let alone that he actually wanted anything to do with me."

"Why would he not want anything to do with you?"

Stefan shrugged. "I don't know. It was always a fear of mine. Completely unfounded, I know, but it was there." He smiled and reached over to take her hand in his. "I had a good time tonight," he said and looked over at her. "I know things have been a little strange lately and I'm not going to pressure you into talking to me, but I love you, okay? Don't ever forget that."

Elena nodded. "I won't," she whispered. This time, she couldn't say it back.


	12. Chapter 12

**a/n: I'm so sorry guys! I didn't mean to keep you waiting. I honestly have no idea when I'm going to update next, but I felt like writing this chapter, so here it is. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint.****  
**  
TWELVE

Elena sat on the couch, drumming her fingers on her thighs. She could hear Isobel in the kitchen preparing their lunch. Nervousness was bubbling up inside of her as she debated for the millionth time if talking to Isobel would help or hurt the situation. The moment that Isobel came into the living room, carrying a tray, Elena realized that it would help. She needed someone to talk to and Isobel was the only person that would keep this to herself and not judge.

Isobel smiled and Elena couldn't help but do the same. "You look tense."

"I am," Elena replied.

Isobel sat next to her and put her hand on Elena's forearm. "Just relax. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. No one is going to know anything because I'm not going to tell." She gave her daughter a light squeeze and smiled again. "Take a deep breath and relax," she urged before reaching for one of the glasses on the tray. She handed the glass to Elena and watched as she sipped at the ice water.

"This is harder than I thought it would be."

"Why's that?"

Elena gave a slight shrug. "I've been wanting to tell someone, but now that I can, I can't seem to work up the nerve." She took another sip of her water and sighed. "I guess I always thought I would be telling Caroline."

Isobel nodded. "You'll tell her when you're ready."

Elena leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. "I don't know where to start."

"The beginning," Isobel replied with a smirk that Elena opened her eyes in time to see. "Tell me about the night you met."

Elena cleared her throat and moved her gaze to the wall. She didn't want to see Isobel's reaction to any of this. "A week before the wedding I left Stefan." Elena let the sentence hang in the air for a moment before she continued. "I had every intention of just walking away and that was that. I grabbed the keys and started driving. I took off my ring and put it in the glove box.

"I ended up in a bar on the other side of town. I was by myself minding my own business when this guy approached me. He said he came to save me from the group of frat boys at the bar who were taking bets on who I would go home with." Elena paused to smile. "So I let him sit with me. We talked, we laughed, we had a good time. I only told him my first name and he told me his; no last names, that was the deal.

"By the end of the night we were too drunk to drive so the bartender called us a cab. Damon's place was closer so we went there first. He lingered when we pulled up to his place and then he invited me up. I declined and watched as he gave the cabbie enough money to cover both our fares. I even watched as he walked into his building and disappeared. The cabbie asked me where to and I felt those walls closing in. I told him to the keep the money and went after Damon. I found him in the elevator and things went from there. The next morning I left and went back to Stefan. Why? I don't even know myself."

But she did know. She was scared. She had felt something with Damon and instead of exploring it, she went back to Stefan where it was safe.

Elena shook her head and looked at Isobel again. The older woman smiled and nodded in encouragement. "And what about the next time you saw him?"

"When we got back from the honeymoon, Stefan told me that he had a brother. He told me that their childhood wasn't very good and his brother left as soon as he could. Stefan had spent years trying to track him down, but he never could. Until then. He had finally found him and wanted me to meet him. On the same day that he showed up to the house, I found out I was pregnant. In fact, one of the first things Stefan said after introducing us was that I was with child." Elena shook her head and gave a curt laugh. "I can't even describe how I felt when I opened the door to find _him_ on the other side."

Isobel shook her head and placed her hand on Elena's arm again. "It must have been difficult for you."

"I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't do anything but stare at him. It was one of the worst nights of my life."

Isobel could only nod.

"I didn't see him again until after I found out I was truly pregnant. I couldn't face him; I was scared of what might happen. So the day before the party I went to his place and found him packing. He said he wasn't going to stick around and watch this. He said that he wanted me, that we had something together and he wasn't going to sit on the sidelines. He didn't want to hurt his brother, but he didn't want to get hurt either." Elena sighed and closed her eyes. "We kissed. Never in my life had there been so much passion in a kiss before," she whispered and moved her gaze to Isobel's. "There's a definite connection between us and..." her voice trailed off. Elena could only shake her head and shrug her shoulders because she didn't know what else to say.

Isobel let Elena have a moment of silence before she placed an arm around her shoulder. "I think you need to follow your heart. Listen to what it has to say and go with it."

"But-"

"No buts. You usually follow your head, Elena, and I have always admired you for it, but you cannot pass this up. You'll regret it and be miserable for the rest of your life wondering about the what-ifs."

"What about Stefan?"

"If you weren't married to him? What would you do?" Isobel asked and nodded from Elena's silent answer. "Just follow your heart, okay." After a pat on the back, Isobel reached forward and handed Elena a plate. "Time for lunch. I'm sure the baby is hungry."

Elena wiped away the lone tear that had run down her cheek and smiled back at Isobel. "Oh it is," she remarked and then remembered the other reason why she had come here. "There was something I wanted to ask you."

"Ask away."

"I spoke to Dr. Corbin the other day and scheduled a paternity test. He recommended that someone come with me."

Isobel nodded. "I'd be delighted. If you want, you could come here and I'll drive you to the doctors. That way you could come back here afterwards and go home when you're ready. Are you telling either one about this?"

Elena shook her head. "I'm not saying anything to Stefan until I get the results. As far as Damon is concerned, he knows there's a great possibility that it's his, but I don't want him to know I'm doing the test. That way there's less chance something will get said on accident."

"Smart," Isobel replied and gave Elena's arm a light squeeze. "Everything will work out. I promise." Elena only nodded in response and started eating.

* * *

The moment Isobel had suggested that Elena follow her heart, she decided that she was going to see Damon before going home. Only, when it came time to knock on the door, she couldn't seem to do it. There was that nagging feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She knew that once he answered, there was no going back. Elena shook her head and cleared her throat before giving in and knocking on the door. It took Damon only a few seconds to answer it. His eyes went wide with surprise at the sight of her in the hallway and he stepped aside. "Come in."

"Thanks," she replied.

He closed the door behind her and watched as she looked around the apartment. "What brings you here?" he asked, not sure what else to say.

"We need to talk about the other night. We need to talk about us," she said, slowly turning around to look at him.

"I thought there wasn't going to be an us."

"I never said that," Elena remarked, holding his gaze. "I said I was married, I didn't say anything about not wanting you."

Damon's brows rose at that. He wasn't expecting her to be so direct. "What are you getting at?"

She hesitated for a few seconds. "Yesterday, Stefan told me that he wanted us to spend time together without him so that we could get to know each other on a personal level. It got me thinking. He was right, we do need to get to know each other because I don't know you at all and you don't know me." She stopped and took a step closer to him. "But I want to get to know you, Damon. What little I do know, I like."

"What exactly are you saying?" Damon asked, his mind running wild with all the ideas that she could possibly have.

"I'm saying that we have something, something that I do not have with Stefan. In fact, what we have is what's missing between he and I. I want a chance to explore that because I know if I walk away from you, I'll spend my life going over the what-ifs. I know I'm married and it's wrong, but I don't care." She paused to take a few more steps forward, stopping only a few inches in front of him. "I want you, Damon, but I want to know we can work before I give anything up."

Damon nodded and locked his gaze with hers. Slowly, he lifted his hands so that he was cupping her face and began closing the distance between them. This time, there was no hesitation, no resistance as their lips met and fused together. The instant they touched, Elena's hands went to his waist to steady herself as she parted her lips to deepen the kiss. Damon moaned low in his throat as she pulled him closer so that their bodies were touching. Elena shuddered as she felt his arousal against her stomach, making her ache even more for him.

Damon was the one to break the kiss. He tilted his head up and rested his chin against her forehead. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked in a breathy voice.

Elena nodded and pulled back to look at him. "If we didn't have a strong connection like we do, I would never risk losing everything, but I've never felt this way about anyone. Not even Stefan."

Damon looked down at her and couldn't help but smirk. "How about we don't say his name anymore?"

Elena nodded and smiled back up at him. "I think I can manage that."

Damon leaned in to kiss her softly again. "Thank you," he murmured when he pulled back.

"For?"

"For giving us a chance."

Elena only nodded and pulled away from him. "I'm going to use your bathroom before I head out."

"You have to leave?"

She nodded. "I was at Isobel's for a while and I came straight here. I need to go home eventually," she said and after grabbing her purse, turned down the hall. Once inside the bathroom with the door shut, she rummaged around for something she could use. She located a third brush in a bottom drawer that still had some hair in it. She pulled out a ziploc baggie from her purse and stuffed the brush inside. After sealing the bag, she walked back into the living room to say goodbye.

"When will I see you next?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"Whenever you want," she replied and let him kiss her one last time. She broke the kiss by pulling away and heading towards the door. "See you soon," she promised and left before she decided to stay any longer.


	13. Chapter 13

**a/n: It's been so long, but I finally had the urge to write in this story! I even wrote two chapters yesterday! I'm so sorry I made you guys wait so long and I hope I didn't lose anyone :/ Anyway, thank you kindly for being so patient and I hope you enjoy this chapter :)**

THIRTEEN

Elena jumped a little as the sound of her ringtone broke her concentration. She followed the sound of it on her desk, lifting journals and books in order to find it. She sighed as she saw Caroline's name on the display and answered it. "Hey, what's up?"

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked, her voice full of excitement.

"I'm working on my paper. The one I told you about yesterday."

Caroline sighed loudly and Elena gave a weary smile to the empty room. "Well, I guess that means you don't want to do anything tonight."

"Sorry Care."

"But it has to be loud at your house anyway, right? Aren't the boys over to watch the game?" This time, her voice was full of hope.

Elena couldn't help but smile at her friend's determination. "I'm in the office upstairs. I can't really hear anything from downstairs."

"Oh come on, Elena! You're really going to give up some quality time out with me for a homework assignment?"

"Yes," Elena answered with a serious voice despite the smirk on her face. "Like I said, sorry Care, but I have to get this done."

"Alright, alright. But next week, you're coming out whether or not you have stuff to do, so plan ahead, okay?"

"Okay," Elena agreed and said goodbye before hanging up. After setting the phone down, she reached to her glass and frowned to see it empty. She had been dreading going downstairs for the fear of finding some way to procrastinate. Not to mention Damon was downstairs too. The thought of him being in the house was enough of a distraction, but the thought of seeing him was something she didn't know how to handle. It was also one of the reasons she had decided against going out with Caroline.

With a sigh, realizing how thirsty she was, Elena got up and headed downstairs to the kitchen. She could hear Jeremy and Tyler shouting at the TV the most, a sign that their team was losing. "Halftime!" John declared, making Elena pause.

Just as she finished filling her glass, all seven men entered the kitchen and smiled widely at the sight of her. Grayson was the first to give her a hug. "How is my grandchild?" he asked.

"Thirsty," she replied, holding up her glass when he let her go. "How's the game?"

"Rigged!" Jeremy answered only to be laughed at. "It is!" he argued and launched into a bunch of reasons why he thought so.

Elena tuned him out and smiled at Stefan who approached her. "Are we too loud?"

"No," she assured him, shaking her head. "I can't hear anything from the office."

"Good, although I'm sure you'll hear Ty and Jer scream like little girls when they lose," he replied with a light snicker. "I'll be back," he said, kissing her forehead before taking off for the stairs.

Elena turned to Damon then and smiled. "Hey," he said, coming to stand near her, off to the side of the kitchen, away from everyone else.

"Hey yourself," she replied softly.

"I didn't even know you were here."

"I'm working on a paper upstairs."

"Really?" he asked, his eyes jumping to the rest of the men that were scattered around the kitchen. "With all this commotion?"

"I'm in the office. You can't really hear anything from downstairs in there."

As Damon's lips parted to reply, Tyler interrupted by throwing his arm around Elena's shoulder and kissing her lightly on the cheek. "Did I ever tell you how grateful I am for setting me up with Caroline?"

Elena couldn't help but smile, knowing that over the past week, the pair hadn't been able to stop talking about one another. Stefan had told her about Tyler's gushing and Elena had told him about Caroline's. "You might have mentioned it once or twice," Elena answered, smiling widely at him.

"You really are a good friend," he added and squeezed her shoulders before letting go. "Has she said anything about me?"

"That depends, have you talked to her?"

Tyler's smile disappeared as he scowled playfully. "Alright, alright, I get your point," he mumbled before walking back to the fridge to get another beer.

Elena turned to Damon and let out a light laugh. Before either of them said anything to each other, Stefan returned to her side. As he started to put an arm around her waist, she moved out of his reach and started heading for the stairs. "I think it's time I go back upstairs," Elena said and took her leave with one last look at Damon.

Instead of heading straight to the office, she stopped at the upstairs guest bathroom. After drying her hands, Elena found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror. Slowly, her eyes dropped down to her stomach as her hands rested on her skin. A small smile touched her lips as she imagined the day she would be able to see the life that was growing inside of her and hold him or her for real. Sadly, that day was about seven months away, way too long for her liking. With a sigh, Elena left the bathroom and headed for the office. Just as she was about the shut the door completely, it opened back up and Damon stepped inside, closing it after himself.

"Damon, what-"

He cut her off mid sentence as he cupped her face and brought his lips down to hers. Instinctively, she raised her arms to push him off, but as his tongue slipped past her lips to mingle with her own, her eyes closed and she began to give into the kiss, her hands resting on his shoulders. After a few moments, reality settled in and Elena broke the kiss, taking a step away from him. Her body shook as the heat of those few seconds set her on fire. Already she was wanting more.

"What are you doing?" she asked, keeping her voice low, her eyes filled with worry.

"Kissing you," he replied, a slight smirk on his lips. "I've been wanting to do that since I saw you in the kitchen."

"Well you can't. Not here," she said, shaking her head. "Not with Stefan downstairs."

Damon's smirk faded as he realized what he had just done. It hadn't occurred to him that Stefan could walk in if he felt the urge; he had been too blinded by the thought of kissing her to think clearly. "Sorry," he muttered. He took a step closer and cupped her face lightly, "But I can't help it. Besides," he said, pouting. "You're always the one to kiss me."

Elena couldn't help but smile softly at that. "Just not when he's around," she said quietly and placed her hands over his to remove them from her face.

Damon nodded and watched her take her seat behind the desk, in front of the computer. He spotted another chair and dragged it over to sit close to her. "So what kind of paper are you working on?" he asked.

She looked at him with confusion. "Shouldn't you be downstairs watching the rest of the game?"

He shrugged. "I told Stefan I was going to come talk to you for a bit. There's only so much ESPN I can handle."

"You're not a sports fan?"

"Not really," he said. "Don't get me wrong, I love a good game, but I'm not one to watch every single one of them. If it's on and I happen to catch it, fine. If not, oh well, no big loss."

She couldn't help but chuckle softly. "You might not want to let them know that. They take sports seriously down here."

"I'm aware," he said in a tone that wiped the smile off her face and left her feeling uncomfortable. Damon cleared his throat and broke the tension. "You never answered my question."

"It's a book report."

His brows furrowed together. "In college?"

Elena smiled, knowing how it sounded. "We have to be creative with it. I'm writing it from the character's perspective. I know their thoughts narrated the story, but the assignment is to see what they thought of the ending. To see if they would have done anything differently. Does that make any sense?" she asked, because if he understood it, then her professor would too.

He mulled it over and Elena could tell that he was truly giving it some thought. "That's quite a challenge. Is that what the actual assignment is?"

"No, I chose that style on my own."

"Impressive. What book?"

She had been beaming with pride until he asked that question. Instantly, she felt heat on her cheeks and looked down to avert her eyes. "Um, The Awakening by Kate Chopin," she mumbled, hoping he wouldn't know it was.

She looked up and knew that he had from the sad expression on his face. "Did you choose the book?"

"From a list. I looked at all the other ones, but they weren't as interesting."

"And what does Edna think about the ending?" he asked, his voice filled with challenge as his eyes searched hers.

"I'm not looking at her as a reflection of myself if that's what you're implying," Elena said, holding her chin up in defiance. "I chose the book because it was one of the first novels about a woman and her break from social norms. Not because of the parallels to my life."

They stared at each other for a long moment; a silent battle of wills. Damon was the first to break the silence with a light chuckle. "No trips to the Gulf of Mexico for you then," he teased and reached for her hand. "May I look at it?"

Elena shook his head, smiling at the pout on his face. "I haven't started writing yet. I've been jotting down ideas and doing the outline."

He nodded and let his gaze drop down to their hands that were in her lap. His fingers were skimming across the back of her hand, drawing abstract pattern on her skin, and she was letting him. "So what did _you_ think of the ending?" he asked, looking back up to meet her gaze.

"I think Edna was too hard on herself. She took what she wanted and then felt guilty about it. I don't blame her for drowning herself, but I think if she had been more honest with herself about what she really wanted, she wouldn't have done it. She tried following her heart while listening to her head and it destroyed her." She whispered the last part, realizing how close her situation had become to that of the fictional character. She cleared her throat and pulled her hands away from Damon's.

Damon leaned back and just watched her as she turned back to her notes and just stared at them. He stood up, knowing it was time for him to go. "Why don't you come over tomorrow night?" Elena turned around and looked at him with an arched brow. "We're supposed to be getting to know each other right? Well, did you know I could cook?"

Elena shook her head, "No."

"Well, then I would like to cook for you so you can learn about me."

The idea of him cooking for her, combined with the pleading look on his face was irresistible. "I would love that."

He smiled, his blue eyes lighting up at her acceptance. "I look forward to it," he said before heading to the door. "See you tomorrow."

"Bye," she replied, watching him leave and staring at the door for minutes afterwards.

* * *

That night, Elena climbed into bed next to Stefan and turned her head to look at him, watching him check his emails one last time. "Damon invited me over for dinner tomorrow," she said, blurting it out before she stopped herself.

"Perfect," Stefan said, looking at her with a smile.

"It is?"

"I was going to talk to you about it earlier, but we all got a little too distracted. Tomorrow Tyler and I are going to New York for a few days. There's a big board meeting with a new client. Whoever gets their designs picked gets the commission and a spread in Architecture of Today. The client requested up and coming architects as a way to help someone build their portfolio. If I get this, I will make enough to make sure Baby Salvatore has a secure future _and_ have enough left over to leave us wanting for nothing."

Elena couldn't help but feel proud for Stefan. This was the break he had been waitig for. "I'm rooting for you."

"The best thing is we get to pick our own team so I could have Tyler as my executive assistant and he can put this in his portfolio too. He's going to choose me if he wins too."

"How long will you be gone?"

"A few days, Friday at the very latest. We're just getting to know the client. Our submissions have to be turned in by the end of the month and they pick within the following week."

"And that's a bad thing?" she asked, seeing him frown.

"If I get the commission, I'll be spending a lot of time in New York."

Elena sat up to wrap her arms around him. "This is your dream, Stefan. You do whatever it takes to make it a reality and we'll figure it out later."

"But I don't want to miss one moment of your pregnancy."

Elena kissed his cheek. "One step at a time. Design from the heart and I know the commission will be yours," she said before moving to lie down again. "Goodnight Stefan."

"Goodnight Elena," he returned and shut off his computer before joining her in sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**a/n: I'm just on a role with this one! I wasn't going to write the "date" but incorporate flashbacks while at the doctor's office, but I started writing a flashback and it turned into most of the chapter, so I just let it be. :)**

**Okay, so I really want to write some Delena smut, but I'm not sure how you guys are going to take it, so I'm going to let you decide. Yes or no?**

**...and I have come to the conclusion that I'm getting burnt out on Delena, so all the stories I have I will finish, but I won't be creating any new ones for TVD for a bit, with the exception of my Tyler/Elena request story. On the plus side, I'll still be writing. Right now, I'm working on a Stargate Atlantis, Heroes, and X-Men, so we'll see what happens :)  
**  
FOURTEEN

The moment Damon opened the door for her, the scent of whatever he was making hit her nose and Elena began salivating. "What is that?"

"An old family recipe."

"It smells delicious," she said as she stepped inside his apartment.

Once the door was closed, Damon wrapped his arms around her from behind and lowered his nose to the crook of her neck. He inhaled deeply and whispered, "Not as delicious as you." His breath tickled her skin and Elena closed her eyes as his words reverberated through her body.

She turned in his arms and felt his lips descend to hers. This was the kiss that she had denied herself yesterday. The one that she had intended to deny herself today, but that plan had backfired within a minute of being around him. His hands rested on her hips, pulling her closer as her hands grasped her shoulders to anchor herself. Damon slowed the kiss down in effort to simmer their burning passion. He knew she hadn't come over to sleep with him and he didn't want to pressure her. He knew they would be together again and he was going to wait until she was completely ready and not just caught up in the moment.

He broke the kiss, but stayed where he was, their foreheads touching. Elena licked her lips, reveling in the taste of him before slowly moving out of his grasp. She cleared her throat and proceeded to place her purse on the side table by the door. "Are you going to give me a hint as to what it is?"

Damon smirked and took her hand to lead her to the kitchen. "How about we make a game out of it instead."

"What kind of game?" she asked wearily.

His smirk widened at her tone and he released her hand to grab a wooden spoon. "A game of taste. I'll let you sample the ingredients and you tell me what they are."

"What's the catch?"

"You have to keep your eyes closed."

Elena shook her head and laughed softly. "Someone's been watching Hell's Kitchen."

He shrugged. "Maybe. So you'll play?"

"Yes, as long as there's no fish. Just the thought of it makes me want to puke," she said, feeling her stomach churn.

"No fish," he promised, making a mental note of that. "Anything else?"

"I guess we're about to find out," she said and smiled before closing her eyes. "Ready."

Damon looked around at the ingredients and shook his head. This was going to be too easy. He dipped the spoon into the pan of sauce and brought it to her lips. He was entranced when her tongue darted out to taste and hearing her small sigh of satisfaction was enough to drive him crazy. "Good?"

"That sauce is amazing. What is it?"

"I hope you're not asking me which jar I bought," he said, sadness creeping into his voice.

She opened her eyes and nodded. "Well, yeah."

He shook his head. "Oh dear. There will never ever be a jar of red stuff anywhere in my kitchen. I made it from scratch, just like my mother and my grandmother."

She looked at him, throughly impressed. "It's one of the best sauces I've ever had."

"Good. Now, close your eyes."

She nodded and did what he asked, waiting for the next "challenge." Damon used the same spoon to take some of the cheese mixture from another bowl and held it to her lips. She smiled as she sampled it. "Please don't tell me you have a cow around to make your own cheese too."

"I wish, but it is imported." She started to open her eyes, but he chided her first. "Keep 'em closed."

"Yes sir," she replied teasingly and waited again.

Damon used his fingers to pick up a small piece of pasta dough he had cut out and pressed it to her lips. Her teeth gently scraped along his finger as she took the square piece of dough into her mouth, teasing him in the process. "That is homemade too, just so you know."

"Can I guess what you're making now?" she asked, eyes still closed.

"No, there's one more thing," he said, taking a step closer. He knew she felt his presence because her body tensed in anticipation and he heard the change in her breathing.

"Ready," she breathed.

Damon grinned and lowered his lips to hers for the second time that night. Once again, the temptation to kiss her was just too much to ignore. This time, for her sake, he kept it light and pulled away after only a few seconds, smirking profusely as she swayed on her feet a little. "You can guess now."

"Ravioli," she said, her voice thick with desire. She cleared her throat and took a step back. "I can't wait to try it."

"Good, because you're going to help me make them."

Elena nodded and moved to stand beside him. He picked up two pieces of already cut pasta and set them close together. He then reached into the cheese mixture and took a chuck out to set on top of one of the squares. Next, he picked up the brush from the egg wash and brushed around the cheese before putting the other piece of dough on top. Then he began pressing the edges together with a fork and turned to Elena. "And that is how you do it," he said, picking up the brush again. "The final step is brushing the top with egg and when we're all done we'll put it in the water to cook."

"Easy."

"Well yeah, you missed the actual labor part."

"Then I guess you'll have to teach me next time," she said, earning a smile from him. Without another word, they began assembling the ravioli and went about preparing the rest of dinner. When it was done, Damon told her to sit at the table so that he could serve her. He brought the two plates to the table followed by two glasses of red wine. "Your days of getting me drunk are over," she said, looking down at her stomach.

He laughed and continued to sit down. "I know. It's grape juice."

"Oh," she said and sighed. "I kind of wish it were wine."

"Ask your doctor. I heard there are some wines that are okay to drink." Elena nodded, but didn't comment. "Speaking of, when is your next appointment?"

She hesitated before answering. "A week from today. Isobel's coming with me," she said before he could invite himself along.

"Not Stefan?"

"No. It's just a routine check up, nothing important." He nodded and she could see the disappointment in his eyes; it broke her heart. "Where did you learn to cook?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Most of it was my mother. Of course she didn't really teach me, but I got the ability from her. I was in Italy for a little while and learned there. It's a hobby really; a passion."

"Have you ever thought about becoming a chef? Maybe opening your own restaurant?"

Damon stared down at his plate and nodded after a moment. "Yeah."

"I think you should. You're an amazing cook."

He smiled at her. "Thank you," he said and they lapsed into easy conversation from there.

After dinner, Elena sat on the couch since Damon refused to let her help clean up. Once he was done, he went into the living room and sat by her side. He sat close, but not too close, wanting her to make the move. Fortunately, she made her move almost immediately. She leaned into him, placing her head on his shoulder and letting her arm drape across his chest. "Thank you for dinner," she said, reveling in the scent of him.

"You're welcome." He moved his hand to her abdomen and lifted the hem of her shirt enough so that he could touch her bare skin. "How far along are you?"

"Eight weeks," she replied, trying to ignore the effect his hand had on her from his touch.

"When can you feel them start kicking and moving around?"

Elena shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure. Not until later I think. I haven't really read any of the books yet," she admitted, realizing it for the first time. "I should probably do that."

"Yes you should," he said and turned his head to place a small kiss to her forehead.

Neither of them said anything more and Damon kept his hand where it was, glad that she didn't tell him to move it. Silence fell between them, but it was companionable. They were out of things to talk about and just wanted to be near each other. Damon reveled in the accomplishment that was tonight; glad that Elena had meant what she said about wanting this to work. He liked that she let him kiss her because he wanted to and that she let him touch her. It was more than he could have hoped for for their first "date." Not wanting to spoil the moment, he smiled down at her and continued on with the silence as he held her. This was where she belonged and it was only a matter of time before she realized it too. All he had to do was wait.

* * *

Elena clutched her purse in her lap as she sat beside Isobel in the waiting room of the doctor's office. Today was the day that she would take the test that would tell her who the father was and change her life forever. She couldn't help but feel nervous and the way she bit her lip and couldn't keep her feet still let Isobel know exactly how anxious she was. The older woman reached out and laid her hand on Elena's arm, making her jump and look to the side. Isobel said nothing, just offered a friendly smile and removed her hand.

Elena let out a deep breath and tried to be calm. "Sorry, I don't know why I'm so nervous," she said even though it was only a half truth.

"I understand," she said reassuringly. "All that matters is that you're okay with this. There's no going back after this."

Elena nodded. "I know," said confidently. "But I have to know. The not knowing will kill me more than the guilt," she said and stood up as the nurse called out her name.

"I'll be here when you're done," Isobel said and waved her daughter away.

Elena did what the nurse asked her for the routine pre-doctor visit before following her into one of the exam rooms. "I'll need you to remove your clothing from the waist down and put on a gown. Doctor Corbin and I will be back in a moment for the procedure."

"Thank you," she said and once the nurse was out of the room, Elena stripped off the lower half of her outfit and slipped into a gown before sitting in the patient's chair. While she waited, she thought of Damon and their date the week before. Her own hand went to her stomach as she remembered the feel of his hand on her skin.

Doctor Corbin brought her to reality as he knocked on the door and stepped inside with the nurse. "Elena, good to see you."

"You too," she replied and watched as the nurse began to prepare the instruments.

"Did you bring DNA samples from the prospective fathers?" he asked.

Elena glanced wearily at the nurse before she nodded. "In my purse. I labeled the bags."

"Good," he said and looked at the nurse. "Linda won't say anything Elena, I promise. She knows what will happen to her if she breeches the doctor-patient confidentiality agreement."

Linda smiled at Elena. "Don't worry, Sweetie, as far as I'm concerned, you're checking to see if there's any abnormalities. Anything else I'm going to pretend I don't hear."

"Thanks," Elena answered and laid back when Linda motioned for her to do so.

"Alright, Elena. I've already explained the risks, do you need me to repeat them?"

"No thanks."

He nodded and began washing his hands. "The procedure involves me sticking a needle into the womb to draw a sample of blood from the fetus. It will feel like a sharp pinch, but it will be quick and then we'll be done."

"Okay," she said and watched as he put his gloves on before taking a seat in the rolling chair. "I'm ready when you are."

He nodded, but said nothing else as he went about the procedure. Linda placed her hand in Elena's just before the pinch and Elena's eyes widened with the slight pain, a small gasp escaping her lips. Doctor Corbin put the sample into a vial and labeled it before turning towards Elena again. "I'll let you redress and then I'll come back for the other samples. You might experience some discomfort for the next few days as well as some spotting. If it lasts more than four days I want you to call me right away, okay?"

Elena nodded and he stepped outside. When she was done, she handed him the samples and went to the check-out counter. After signing the remaining paperwork, she walked out to the waiting room to meet Isobel. The older woman put her arms around Elena and held her for a long moment before they both began heading for the car for a long, silent ride home.


	15. Chapter 15

**a/n: Hey guys! Sorry, I know this took FOREVER, but I kind of got stuck with where to go. I think I have it now though. It didn't help that the week off between classes that I usually have didn't happen this time around. These classes have an insane amount of work, so posts might be few and far between, but they will be coming. I plan on alternating chapters between this and Written in Blood until both stories are complete before I start doing anything else.**

FIFTEEN

Elena came home with a grocery bag tucked under her arm and a cell phone pressed against her ear. Caroline was rattling on and on about a fellow co-worker that was driving her insane. There was so much going on that she screamed into the phone when Stefan came up to hug her from behind. "Elena!" Caroline's voice shouted through the phone.

"She's okay, I just spooked her," Stefan said, picking up the device that had fallen on the island next to the bag. "Sorry," he said, to Elena as she spun around to face him.

"Caroline, I'll call you back."

"Actually, hang on. Hey, will you round everyone up for dinner tonight at The Banque? Let's say, eight?"

"Sure, what for?" Caroline asked, her earlier anger completely gone.

"I have some good news that I am going to share with my wife. The rest of you will have to wait until dinner to find out. Hanging up now," he said and did just that.

"Good news?" Elena asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Very," he replied, leaning in to kiss her.

Elena laughed and turned her head to the side before his lips could touch hers. She gently pushed him away from her. "Sorry, I kind of got sick at the grocery store."

"I thought you were over morning sickness?"

"Not exactly and the smell of seafood doesn't help either. Just tell me your good news so I can go freshen up."

"Wait here," he said and hurried from the room. When he came back, he was holding a letter and Elena froze in fear. She shrugged that fear off, knowing it couldn't be the paternity results since it had only been two weeks and even if it were, Stefan would not be this happy. "Read it," he demanded, practically throwing the letter to her.

Elena began to read and stopped after the third sentence, a wide smile spreading across her face. "They chose your work? You got the commission?"

"I got it!"

"Oh my God, that's fantastic!" Elena yelled and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly.

He held her back just as tight and let her go so she could finish reading. "You go freshen up, we have to talk about some things, okay?"

Elena nodded and headed upstairs to brush her teeth. She gave herself a minute to regroup, her mind still spinning over the terror she had felt a few minutes ago. When she was ready, she met Stefan in the living room. "What did we have to talk about?"

"This is a really big opportunity for me. I know you said that we'll figure it out as we go along, but I will be spending a lot of my time in New York. As lead architect, I have to be there to make sure that nothing goes wrong. I spoke to the client earlier and they agreed to let me fly home for three day weekends, but I don't think that will be enough."

Elena shook her head and took his hands in hers. "I know you don't want to miss a minute of this, but this is your dream. I can say that all I want because the baby goes where I go, but I want this for you Stefan. You've been working so hard and I don't want you to give it up because of me."

"I know, but-"

"It's not like I'll be alone. I have an army to remind me about appointments and Caroline's already started documenting everything in a scrapbook for me." Elena paused to shake her head and let out a quiet laugh. "Look, there's Skype, emails, and a variety of other ways that we can communicate. It's not like you're going away forever. You even said the first time that once the hard part is out of the way, you can mostly work from home, right?"

"Yeah, I did say that."

"Besides, you'll be here for long weekends."

Stefan nodded as he mulled it over. "Are you sure?"

"I am a hundred percent sure."

He responded by cupping her face and bringing her lips to his. After a brief kiss, he dropped his hand down to her stomach and smiled. "Then I'll just make sure I'm around for baby number two."

Before Elena could say anything, Stefan's phone rang, providing a much needed interruption. "Thank you Caroline," Stefan said and hung up. "Alright, dinner's at eight."

* * *

"You just had to pick a restaurant that was also a night club," Elena said as they pulled into the parking lot of The Banque.

"What?" Stefan replied, giving her a cheeky grin. "We needed a designated driver."

Elena made a face and then laughed with him. She looked down at her phone as it buzzed from an incoming message. "Caroline's already inside. She even has a table," Elena said, relaying the information to Stefan.

"Good," he said as he slid out of the car. He scanned the parking lot as he walked around to Elena. "From the looks of it, we're waiting on Jeremy, Anna, Damon, and your parents."

"Mom and Dad won't be here. They're in Florida, remember?"

"They are always at one conference or another," he muttered as they headed for the entrance.

"Well, it's not like they have anything else to do. The kids are grown and out of the house. If I were them, I would be doing the same thing," Elena replied.

"Welcome to the Banque," the friendly hostess said, grinning widely at the two of them as they approached. "Can I get you a table?"

"We're meeting someone here and they have a table already," Stefan explained.

"Are you with Ms. Forbes?"

"Yes."

"Right this way," she said and led the pair through the maze of tables until they reached the large party table towards the back of the restaurant. "Can I get you something to drink while you wait for the rest of your party?"

"A water for me," Elena answered.

"Whatever's on tap," Stefan said.

"So what's the good news?" Caroline asked the moment the waitress turned her back.

"Everyone's not here yet."

"So?"

"So, I'm not saying anything until everyone's here," Stefan said, smirking at the look of irritation on Caroline's face. It was one of his favorite things about the blonde. She was easy to anger and it was rather fun watching her in that state.

"Oh alright," she muttered in defeat and immediately moved from her seat to be next to Elena. "Isobel and John aren't going to be here either. John said something about Florida?"

"They must have gone to the retreat with my parents," Elena said and couldn't help but giggle at how strange that sentence sounded.

"So I guess it'll be 'just us kids'," she teased.

"I think we've outgrown being called kids," Jeremy said as he and Anna approached the group.

Elena's eyes slid past her brother's shoulders at the sight of Damon walking behind them. Her heart skipped a beat as his eyes locked with hers. For a second, time seemed to stand still and nothing mattered except for the two of them. Unfortunately, the feeling was cut short at the sound of Caroline's voice. "Everyone's here Stef. Spill," she demanded.

Elena looked over to see Tyler grinning for ear to ear as well. Either Stefan had already told him the good news or he figured it out for himself, he definitely knew what was going on. "Alright, alright. You guys are now looking at the lead architect for the Edison and Brown Building in Manhattan. And as lead architect, I get to name my own executive assistant. Tyler Lockwood, would you do the honors?"

"Hell yeah! Way to go Stefan!" Tyler shouted, earning looks from all over the dining room.

"Congratulations!" came from the others who were hearing for the first time.

"Thank you," Stefan said, beaming with pride.

It took all of a minute before he and Tyler launched into the plans and seemed to forget everything else. All through dinner, conversation went in every which direction, the exception being Tyler and Stefan who had ignored everyone else for the most part. It wasn't until dinner was over and dessert was on its way that Caroline stood up and interrupted the two men. "Sorry boys, but I want to dance with my boyfriend," she said before taking Tyler's hands and pulling him out of his chair.

"So I guess they're official now," Stefan said watching them move to the dance floor.

"Come on Jer, let's join them," Anna said and the two of them got up from the table too.

Elena looked over at Damon sitting by himself at the other end of the table. Knowing Stefan hated dancing, she stood up and laid a hand on his shoulder before approaching Damon. "Would you like to dance?"

He looked up at her, surprised by her boldness. His gaze slid to Stefan who merely shrugged. "You two have fun."

Damon inclined his head and let Elena lead him to the dance floor. The moment they got there, the song switched to something a little softer. They hesitated before putting their hands on one another. "Stefan always hated dancing," Elena explained once they felt more at ease.

"Yeah?"

She nodded and looked up at him. "He danced at the wedding and that was about it. I don't understand why he's like that because he can dance; he just won't."

"It's just the way he is. He excels at a lot of things, but he has too much fear and a lack of confidence. He was always finding an excuse to get himself out of things that he didn't need getting out of."

Elena nodded. "I know we talked about it and he agreed to go, but I fear that he'll use the baby as a way to stay home. He already said he doesn't want to miss out on the pregnancy."

Damon smiled softly at her. "I wouldn't worry too much. He wants this more than anything and I don't think the baby will hold him back. I may not know him that well anymore, but I know that."

"Thanks."

"I've missed you these past few days."

She nodded slightly and looked down. "I needed to spend some time with Stefan."

He moved one of his hands from her waist to her chin and tilted it up so he could see her face. "You don't have to explain. I'm just letting you know that I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she admitted.

"We should do more things like this."

"Like what?" she asked.

"Dancing, going out, having fun; that sort of thing."

Elena bit her lip out of nervousness. "I don't-"

"Just think about it," he said and the song ended.

Elena nodded and then sighed as that familiar burning sensation of a full bladder struck her. "Bathroom break," she said before he started dancing again.

"I second that," Damon replied and followed her through the crowd until they reached the bathroom.

The moment they turned down the aisle, Damon pinned her to the wall and crushed his lips to hers. He kissed her fiercely and Elena kissed him back with just as much pent up passion. Through the entire dance she had forced herself not to give in to the temptation of his lips.

Damon cut the kiss short, knowing the risk of getting caught was high. "I couldn't resist," he whispered before pulling away and heading into the men's room, smirking at the flustered, yet satisfied look on Elena's face.

"Are you okay?" Caroline asked as she rounded the corner and found Elena leaning against the wall.

"I'm fine, just got a little queasy."

"Good thing the bathroom is right there," Caroline said and grabbed her friend to help her hurry along.

"Thanks Care," Elena said as she closed the door to her stall.

"This probably isn't the best place to say this, but here goes. I know things will be tough with Stefan gone a lot, but you know I'm here for you right?"

"Yes I do know and thank you in advance," Elena answered.

"Good," Caroline replied and waited for Elena to finish.

Damon exited the men's room at the same time the girls exited their restroom. "Ladies," he greeted and extended his arm, signaling for them to go first. With that, they headed back to the table to eat their dessert and finish out the evening.


	16. Chapter 16

**a/n: Hey guys :) Once again, sorry for the delay. Hopefully this chapter was worth the wait :) and please, feel free to tell me if I got my facts wrong on baby stuff. I'm researching, but you never know.**

**...oh boy, what did you guys think of that premiere!**

SIXTEEN

The following week had been about helping Stefan pack his things. Since he would only be home for weekends, he was taking most of his clothes and a lot of stuff from his office. By that Friday, he and Tyler were settled into their hotel, using that weekend to prepare for their initial meeting. The first night that he was gone, Caroline had come over, feeling a little down that Tyler was gone as well. After drinking almost two bottles of wine by herself, she ended up crashing with Elena. It wasn't until early Monday morning that Elena remembered she had a doctor's appointment for another ultrasound later that day. She stared at her phone and smiled as she realized Damon could come with her to this one since Stefan was out of town. She knew he would appreciate it.

It only rang twice before he answered. Elena giggled at the groggy sound of his voice. "Elena? What the hell are you doing up so early?"

"It happens. I either sleep past noon or I'm up at seven."

He groaned. "Everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," she assured him and decided it was best to get straight to the point. "I called to ask if you would like to go to the doctors with me later."

Even though she couldn't see him, she could sense the giant grin on his face. "What time?"

"I'm pretty sure the appointment is at eleven."

"I'll come pick you up at ten-thirty," he said, the excitement creeping into his voice.

"I'll be ready. See you then," she said and hung up only to receive a call from Stefan. "Hey."

"I didn't wake you did I?"

"Nope, that was the baby."

"Everything okay?"

Elena rolled her eyes; that question was ten times more annoying now that she was pregnant. "I'm fine. I just remembered I had a doctor's appointment and I panicked a little, thinking I had missed it, but I didn't."

"What's this one for?"

"Another ultrasound," she said, trying her best to sound nonchalant.

"Well, I guess I'll see the picture when I get back. Are you taking someone with you?"

"I had actually just finished asking Damon when you called," she replied.

"That's good."

An awkward silence settled over them for a moment before Elena cleared her throat. "Well, this kid is practically begging for food, so I'm hanging up now to give in to it's demands."

Stefan chuckled. "Alright. Love you."

"Love you too," she said and hung up.

* * *

Damon had picked her up at ten-thirty just as he had said. The drive to the doctor's office had been relatively silent with Elena giving him directions on occasion. They didn't spend long in the waiting room before being moved to an exam room. "So this is what one of those machines looks like," Damon mused as he looked around the room.

Elena smiled and shook her head. "Yes, that's the ultrasound machine."

"Is the gel really cold like I always hear about?"

She nodded. "It's like ice."

"So this doctor..."

"A long time friend of my dad. If I went to anyone else, they would both be angry at me."

He nodded and went back to surveying the room. "So what's the point of the ultrasound? Didn't you already have one?"

"This is the 3D one where we can see the baby as if it were already here. From the pictures I've seen, it's pretty cool. Besides, I want to see what this kid looks like every step of the way. And as of yesterday, I was twelve weeks which means I'm now in my second trimester."

She smirked at the way his eyes widened. "Already?"

"That was my reaction too," she said and looked away as a knock sounded on the door followed by Doctor Corbin's entrance. He froze when he Damon there, giving Elena a slight smile. "This is Damon Salvatore, Stefan's brother," she explained. "Damon, this is Doctor Corbin." It wasn't until after the introductions that she realized the awkwardness of the situation. With a mental shake, she tried to relax a bit.

Elena saw the flash of recognition in his eyes before he shook Damon's hand. "Nice to meet you, Doctor."

"You as well." He turned to take his seat and patted the patient table for Elena to sit on as well. "Alright, so from the looks of your chart, everything is going smoothly. Has there been anything out of the ordinary?"

Elena smiled. "As I already told the nurse, no, nothing out of the ordinary."

"Good, good. Well, today we're going to do the ultrasound and then you'll be on your way."

Damon stood near the headrest as Elena laid down and lifted her shirt before pushing her jeans down a little. By the time she was done tucking the napkins around the edges of her clothes, Dr. Corbin had finished setting up the machine. He smiled as he lifted the gel and Elena sucked in a breath as the cold goo hit her skin. Curious, Damon reached down and touched it for himself. "Do you guys keep that in a bucket of ice or something?"

"We have to get our kicks somehow," Dr. Corbin responded before moving the remote over the gel. He typed away on the keyboard as he searched for the best image and then turned the screen towards them. "There's your baby."

Elena and Damon were still as they stared at the image in awe. For the first time, it was _real_. There was a baby in there; a real human being that would be joining them in a few months time. As an automatic reaction, Damon's hand sought Elena's and his heart skipped a beat when she laced their fingers together and gave him a reassuring squeeze. With her free hand, Elena wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "That's amazing."

"There's more."

"More?" they said in unison.

Dr. Corbin smiled widely, remaining silent as he clicked another button on the keyboard. After a few seconds, there was a foreign sound that filled the room. Elena's eyes went wide as she looked from Damon to Dr. Corbin. More tears sprang to her eyes and Damon looked at them in confusion. "What is that?"

"The baby's heartbeat."

Damon's eyes moved slowly to the monitor. It was that moment that it hit him. Seeing the baby, hearing the heartbeat, and feeling Elena's hand in his... It made him ache with want. For the first time, he realized what had been missing from his life. It was this, _all_ of this. And he would do anything to make sure that it became a reality.

* * *

The feeling of being awestruck lasted until they arrived back at Damon's condo. They sat on the couch, holding up the photo Dr. Corbin had printed for them. "I can't stop looking at it," Damon murmured.

"Me neither."

"It's still too early to determine the sex isn't it?"

Elena nodded absentmindedly. "I don't think I want to know."

Damon smirked and tore his eyes away to stare at Elena when he heard her sniffle. "Are you _still _crying?" he teased.

Elena looked away from the photo to glare at him. "It's the hormones!" she snapped playfully, smirking right back at him. She shook her head and groaned. "Time to go to the bathroom, again."

Elena walked into the bathroom and checked her make-up in the mirror. She didn't really have to go, but she needed a moment to herself. After fixing her eyeliner, she felt that familiar tingle in her bladder and rolled her eyes. As she sat down, she scanned the room, stopping at the space between the toilet and the sink. There, on the floor where a stack of magazines had been before, was a stack of baby books. From that angle, she could see the dog-eared pages and the creases in the spines telling her that they had been well read. Carefully, she lifted one up and tears collected in her eyes as she leafed through the book to discover handwritten notes on various pages.

She put the book back and went to wash her hands. After taking a moment to compose herself, she headed back to the living room. It was then that she noticed the two baby books sitting on the coffee table. She stopped in her tracks and just stated at them. "Elena?" Damon called, his voice full of concern.

Slowly, her eyes rose to meet his and his narrowed, trying to figure out what was going through her head. She moved towards him until she was standing directly in front of him. Her hands rose to cup his face, guiding his lips down to hers. She kissed him deeply, savoring every second. She only pulled away when she needed air and looked up at him with eyes shining with unshed tears.

"What the hell was that for?" he asked.

"You have baby books in your bathroom." A slight smile formed on his lips and he nodded briefly. Elena let her hands drop to the first button of his shirt, undoing it as she spoke. "You also have baby books on your coffee table."

Damon held her gaze as she continued to unbutton his shirt. It wasn't until her hands touched his bare abdomen and slid their way up that he realized she had no intention of stopping. Slowly, she slid his shirt off of his arms, letting it fall to the floor behind him. His hands rose to hold her, putting one in the small of her back and the other at the back of her neck. His lips descended towards hers, only to veer off to her ear at the last second. "And I have baby books on my nightstand," he whispered.

That was all it took.

All the tension that had been building between them since the moment Damon arrived on her doorstep could be contained no longer. Their lips met in a passionate kiss as they pulled each other closer. Damon reached down for the hem of her shirt and tugged, breaking the kiss for only a split second to remove it. Elena wrapped her legs around his waist as he lifted her up. She cupped his face as he carried her to the bedroom. He laid her down on the bed, standing between her knees as she propped herself up on her elbows.

She watched as he reached out to undo her jeans and proceed to take them off along with her underwear. As he did, his fingers gently scraped her skin, making her shiver with anticipation. As he went to undo his fly, Elena sat up and pushed his hands out of the way. Again, she stared up at him, their eyes locked on one another as she slid his jeans and boxers down his legs. Gently, she reached out and wrapped her hand around his length, giving a few teasing strokes before undoing her bra and moving to lie down with her head on the pillows.

Damon climbed over top of her, groaning as she cradled his body between her thighs. She reached up and sank her fingers into his inky black hair, giving it a slight tug as he leaned in to capture her lips again. The need to have him inside of her again was unlike anything she had ever felt before and it was driving her crazy. From the way he was kissing her back with a frenzy told her that he felt the same way. Damon's hand slid down her body, gliding over her core before his index finger dipped into her entrance. They moaned in unison; Elena at the sensation and Damon at the discovery of how wet she was.

Elena hissed into the kiss as his thumb brushed over her clit. She had known she was more sensitive because of the pregnancy, but to experience something like this was mind blowing. She broke the kiss by throwing her head back as Damon added another finger. He continued to tease her, reveling in the way her hips rose and fell as her way of begging for more. Damon was more than ready to comply. His lips sought her throat as he removed his hand and guided his member to her entrance. Without any warning, he thrust himself inside her, shuddering at the groan of satisfaction that escaped her lips.

Her body arched into his as she felt him buried deep within her. She lifted her head to kiss him again, urging him to treat as fragile. Damon continued to thrust, loving the way she arched her hips to accept as much of him as she could. The need consumed them both to the point where neither of them wanted to take it slow. Damon rolled to let Elena be on top. He was enthralled with the way her hair cascaded down her body and the way her breasts bounced with each thrust. Elena leaned forward, her nails digging into his chest as she neared her climax. Damon sat up along with her, holding her hips tight enough to leave bruises as he continued his ministrations. After a few more thrusts, they both met their releases, sending them into euphoria.

When they came down from the high, Damon laid back, bringing Elena down to lie on top of him. He put his arms around her as she laid her head on his chest. "Why do you have baby books?"

"Am I not allowed to?" he asked.

"Of course you are. I'm just... I don't know, for some reason I didn't think you would," she said, folding her arms over his chest so that she could rest her chin on them.

"That could be my kid in there. I know with Stefan around, I might not get to go to many appointments, but I want to know everything. I want to know what to expect in case something happens when you're with me. If there's one thing I absolutely hate, it's to be helpless or useless."

Elena smiled before pushing herself up to kiss him soundly. "I won't leave you uninformed. I will give you every detail and you will know everything, every step of the way. Okay?"

Damon nodded and reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear. He wanted to tell her the true extent of her feelings, but he didn't want to scare her. Instead, he continued to smile and cup her face. Elena stared down at him with a smile of her own before turning her head to place a kiss into the palm of his hand. With that, she laid back down by his side where they remained, listening to each other breathe until they fell asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**a/n: I know this chapter may be a little short, but I felt that it came out exactly as I meant it to. As I promised, Stefan isn't as clueless as everyone thinks he is and I felt that it was time for him to share his feelings on the story thus far. My apologies for the lack of Delena in this chapter :) but I think the quick update will make up for it :)**

SEVENTEEN

Stefan slid into the booth that the waitress had led him too. The red head smiled sweetly as she handed him his menu. "Can I get you anything to drink while you wait for your friend?"

"I'll take a rum and coke and I know he'll want a double scotch, neat."

"Okay, I'll bring those right out," she said, sauntering away with an extra swing to her hips.

The moment she left, Stefan picked up the menu and looked it over. Just as he had narrowed down his choices, Damon slid into the booth across from him. "Sorry, the photo shoot ran longer than I intended."

Stefan shook his head. "Don't worry about it, I didn't get here that long ago. I ordered your drink for you."

Damon grinned. "Thanks. How was your flight?"

Stefan shrugged. "It was alright, boring as usual."

"And just think, you get to do that _every_ weekend."

"It's worth it," he replied.

Stefan saw something flash in his brother's eyes, but the waitress returned with their drinks before he could comment. As usual on their outings, the waitress had stopped flirting with him all together and focused her attention on Damon. Stefan couldn't help but smirk at the way his brother flirted back, but in a way that was both subtle and obvious that he was only doing it to be polite. After they placed their orders, Damon looked at Stefan and rolled his eyes.

"You know, for the amount of girls that hit on you, I'm surprised you're still single."

"I like being single."

Stefan scoffed. "Please, no one _likes _being single."

"Not true Little Brother, I happen to like it very much. Gives me the freedom to do whatever I want."

"I'm married and I'm still allowed to do whatever I want. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever heard you talk about a girl."

"I don't kiss and tell."

Stefan snorted at that. "I somehow doubt that."

Damon could only grin. "How about this; when someone is worth talking about, you will be the first to know."

"That's all I ask," Stefan said before taking a drink.

"So how is New York?"

"It's like it always is, busy and non-stop work."

Damon nodded, putting down his empty glass. "As much as I loved that city, I hated it too."

"I can't hate it too much. That's where I met Elena. Speaking of, I don't think I ever really thanked you for going with her to that appointment a few weeks ago. It meant a lot to both of us that you want to be there for the baby like that. Thank you."

That same strange emotion passed over Damon's face as he inclined his head in acceptance and Stefan couldn't help but notice the way he changed the subject. "So how is the job? Is it everything you dreamed it would be?"

"I love it. I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity."

Stefan then launched into details of his project, making that the topic of their lunch conversation, saving Damon from saying anything that he shouldn't. As he was sitting there, drinking glass after glass of scotch and listening to his brother go on and on about his "perfect" life, Damon realized something for the first time. He had no guilt over what he and Elena shared and for _that _alone he felt the guilt.

* * *

Elena sighed and leaned her head against the window, watching as the outside world rushed by. "I never realized how much this family likes to throw a party to announce news," she said.

Stefan grinned at her from the driver's seat. "Well, at least it's good news, otherwise hosting a party would be really messed up."

Elena smiled at that. "True."

"What do you think your parents want to announce this time?" he asked as they turned into the Gilbert's driveway.

"Well, we know Mom's not pregnant," she replied, snickering to herself. "I don't know, probably something doctor related," she added and got out.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough," he said, walking around the car to hold his hand out to her. She placed her hand in his and walked with him into the house. There were more people than either of them had anticipated, making their eyes widen at the same time.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Miranda said as she rounded the corner, pulling her daughter into a big hug. When she stepped back, she shook her head and looked at Elena's stomach. "I know you're only fourteen weeks, but I was already showing when I was carrying Jeremy."

"That early?"

She nodded. "All of the women in my family were like that. You should ask Isobel when she started showing so you have an idea for yourself." A little bit of sadness shown in her eyes then before she shrugged it off and looked at Stefan. "I'm glad you made it back for this."

"I would like to say that I feel the same way, but I don't know why I'm here," he replied with a wide grin.

"Soon," she said and turned to greet the other guests that had just walked in the door.

"It has to be a doctor thing because the majority of these people are from the hospital," Elena muttered as she and Stefan wandered to the backyard where she knew Caroline would be.

Stefan chuckled the minute they walked up to Caroline and Tyler, earning a strange look from all of them. "What?" Tyler asked.

"I just didn't expect to see you guys here."

"We were invited," Caroline said, giving him a "duh" look.

"I'm just surprised because this is the first weekend Tyler's been back and-"

Tyler nearly choked on his drink as Caroline's jaw dropped, her eyes jumping from Stefan to Elena. "I'm sorry Care, I thought the same thing."

Caroline shook her head and started laughing. She playfully smacked Stefan before looping her arm through Elena's and pulling her back inside. "Men," she muttered, a smile still on her face.

"What's up?" Elena asked as Caroline pulled her to a stop in the kitchen.

"Nothing."

"You just pulled me away from the group..." Elena said, her head cocked in confusion.

"How does it not drive you crazy? Stefan is gone for the better part of the week."

Elena shrugged and grabbed two bottles of water out of the fridge. "I got used to it I guess. I know it's different for you and Tyler since you just started dating, but it will get easy. He's not gone for good and Stefan's not a horrible boss."

She sighed and took a long drink from the bottle. "I guess you're right."

Elena reached out and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "This is just a temporary set back, Care. Do you believe this is going somewhere?"

"Yeah."

"Alright then. Stick with it and you won't regret it."

"How did you know Stefan was the right one?" Caroline asked.

Elena's lips parted to answer, but no words came out. As Caroline's eyes narrowed in confusion, waiting for an answer, they were interrupted by Jeremy and Anna. "Hey guys. Do you have any idea what this is about?"

"Not a clue. Excuse me," Elena said and took off for the upstairs guest bathroom for a moment to collect herself.

Just as she had calmed down a little, there was a knock at the door followed by Isobel's voice. "Elena? Everything okay?"

She opened the door and nodded. "I'm okay."

Isobel studied her before nodding slowly. "Alright, you had me a little worried with how fast you ran from the kitchen."

"I didn't run." Isobel smirked and Elena shrugged. "Maybe I did a little, but I'm okay, I promise."

Isobel inclined her head and held out her hand. "Then let's go back downstairs, shall we?"

"Can I ask you something?" she asked before either of them moved.

"Sure, what's up?"

"How far along were you before you started showing?"

Isobel smiled as she thought about it. "I don't think I started showing until I was in my third trimester. My family has always been like that so maybe you will be too," she said and gave Elena's hand a comforting squeeze before turning to walk away.

Elena smiled and followed her birth mother. They parted ways once they were downstairs. Elena returned to her friends outside only to find that Damon had arrived. She felt herself pause in her steps as their eyes locked, sending that familiar rush through her body. He smirked before raising his beer to his lips, earning a small teasing glare from her.

"Everything okay?"

Elena's eyes went wide as she looked to her side to where Stefan had asked the question. "Yeah, yeah," she said quickly, swallowing around a tight throat. "I thought I was going to be sick, but false alarm."

"That's good, I guess," he said, putting an arm around her shoulder and leaning in to kiss her forehead.

It was then that the sound of a knife being tapped on glass filled the air, causing everyone to turn their heads. Grayson was standing on one of the picnic tables that had been in the backyard since Elena's childhood. "I'm so glad all of you could make it. Some of you knew that I was in the running for being nominated for Doctor of the Year. Some of you are just finding this out now. Well, I am proud to announce that I am one of the five doctors throughout the United States that has been officially nominated." The sound of clapping and cheers filled the backyard for a minute or two before quieting down. "The ceremony is being held in Los Angeles in a few months so you'll find out when I do."

"And on that note, the food is ready," John announced, causing a rush towards the grill.

* * *

After dinner had been eaten and cleaned up, everyone started to mingle. Stefan couldn't help but notice the way Elena and Damon were around each other and it set off the faintest of warning bells. He leaned against the house, watching as his brother and his wife engaged in a conversation. He had seen them talk many times and knew that they had hit it off well, but this time, there was something different. Something had changed in their dynamic and he wasn't sure what it was.

As Caroline passed him on her way over to Tyler, he grabbed her arm. "Hey, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure, what's up?" she asked, standing beside him.

"Has Elena mentioned anything to you?"

She shook her head slowly and looked at him. "About what?"

"About anything. Ever since before the wedding she's been acting strange and I can't help but feel like I'm missing something."

"She already told you that she left, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, his voice clipped as he took another drink of his beer. "But there's something else. She did come back, but something happened that night because she hasn't really been the same since."

Caroline shrugged. "She hasn't really talked to me," she said, thinking about how she had spent less and less time with her best friend lately. "Come to think of it, I hardly ever see her anymore."

Stefan nodded in the direction of Elena and Damon. "I'm willing to bet you anything that Damon knows what Elena won't tell us."

Caroline looked at the pair and saw the way the acted together. Slowly, she looked at Stefan again. "What exactly are you implying?"

He shook his head slowly. "I don't know."

"Well I do and I think you're wrong. Elena wouldn't do that, she's not that kind of person."

Stefan snorted and finished off his beer. "I have always found that people are more likely to do the very thing you never thought they would," he said and walked off, leaving Caroline behind to contemplate just exactly what he meant.


	18. Chapter 18

**a/n: Alright guys, I hope this was quick enough for you. The results are coming back soon, so you just need to hang in there just a little longer!**

**So last chapter we saw Stefan wisen up and become less blind and this chapter we're going to see Damon be less...whipped, I guess lol. I know a lot of you are annoyed by Elena for being the way she is and Damon for just going along with it. Hopefully this chapter makes them a little more likeable. ****And I know some of you asked if Elena was sleeping with both of them. I answered that in this chapter, so read on to find out!**

**p.s. (TVD spoiler alert!) Was anyone else a little mad that Klaus had no idea that Elena was in the apartment? He's an Original...he should have been able to hear her heart beating before they even opened the door, let alone smell her...**

EIGHTEEN

"So what's on the agenda for today?" Caroline asked as she took her seat next to Elena on the couch.

She shrugged. "I don't know. Did you want to do anything?" Truthfully, she did have plans, but for the past two weeks, every time Elena told her friend that she was hanging out with Damon, Caroline invited herself along, giving them no time to themselves whatsoever. At first, neither of them minded because it was nice that she wanted to get to know him, but after the first week, it became annoying. Elena was also starting to get the feeling that Caroline was up to something. Very rarely did her best friend do anything without having an agenda.

Caroline shrugged. "No, not really. I just don't want to sit around and be bored."

Elena couldn't help but grin at that. At the current moment, that was exactly what the two of them were doing; sitting around being bored. "Well, I plan on doing some homework, so unless you'd like to stay and help..."

"No, no. I'll find something to do," she said and pulled out her phone to look at the time. She sighed and put her phone back into her pocket. "I guess I could get some work done."

"Sounds like a good idea."

She nodded and got to her feet. "I'll see you later."

"Don't work too hard," Elena said as her friend waved on her way out of the house.

Elena felt a little guilty for lying to her, but at the same time, she missed spending time with Damon by herself. They had both agreed that the last time they slept together was the last until she figured things out. Damon was the one to suggest it, saying even though it had already happened, he wouldn't feel right about it. It had tugged at her heart strings and made her fall for him a little more. Elena agreed with him and had decided that until she figured things out, she wouldn't be intimate with either of them. There were a few times that Elena had tried to tell Stefan about her feelings and everything else that had been going on, but he distracted her by his excitement and she couldn't muster up the courage nor did she want to see the hurt on his face.

Shaking those thoughts away, Elena turned off the TV and headed upstairs. The moment she entered her room, her cell went off and she answered it to Damon. "Hey."

"Are we still on for tonight?" he asked.

"Of course. I told Caroline that I was going to stay in and do homework. That makes me a terrible friend doesn't it?"

"You could have just told her the truth; that you and I had plans and you wanted it to be just the two of us. We are still getting to know each other."

Elena sighed and sat on the edge of her bed before letting herself fall back to stare at the ceiling. She wasn't going to comment, instead, she redirected the conversation. "What are we doing tonight?"

"I was thinking of going out. A couple of my friends invited me out to watch the game and I would like you to meet them."

"Damon, I don't think-"

"I've met your friends, Elena. And we're just going out to have a good time. There's nothing to worry about, I promise."

Elena heard the slight irritation in his voice and she winced. This was the argument that had been creeping up on them since everything happened. She sighed again and closed her eyes. "Alright, I'll meet you at your place around six?"

"Sounds good, see you then," he said and hung up. Elena continued to lay in bed, eyes closed, hands on her stomach as she let her mind wander, hoping that a sign would come sooner rather than later and make her choice easier.

* * *

Damon pulled up to sports bar and turned to look at Elena. The grin on his face faded slightly when he saw the faraway look in her eyes. "Everything okay?" he asked.

She jumped slightly before looking at him. She gave him a slight smile followed by a nod and got out of the car. "Yeah, everything's fine." For the first time, being around him didn't comfort her. Ever since she had arrived at his place, the usual harmony between them had be disrupted and she could sense that he felt it too.

"Elena-"

"Alright, so everything's not fine, but we can talk about it later, okay? Right now I want to meet your friends," she said, reaching out to take one of his hands in hers.

He sighed and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I think all of you are going to get along really well."

Elena smiled as they walked into the establishment. Damon scanned the room, looking for his friends. When he found them, he grinned widely and led Elena through the semi-crowded space to the table of five people. "Damon! So glad you could make it!" the brunette girl said as she stood up to hug him. Elena stared at the girl, wondering why she had looked so familiar.

"Guys, this is Elena Gilbert, Elena, this is everyone. This right here is Andie Star."

"The reporter?" Elena blurted out, recognition flooding over her.

Andie smiled. "The one and only."

"Really nice to meet you," Elena said as they shook hands.

Damon gestured to the other four people at the table. "This is Rose and her husband Trevor. And then there's Vicki and Logan." He then pointed to the bar where two men were cheering at something she couldn't see. "That's Klaus and his brother Elijah."

"Nice to meet all of you," Elena said before taking a seat.

"What would you like to drink, Elena?" Trevor asked.

"Just a water for me."

"That's no fun," Vicki said, a pout on her face.

"I'm four months pregnant," she said, giving a half grin as she knew what was coming.

All of Damon's friends got quiet as they slid their gazes to Damon. "You don't look it," Andie said. "Congratulations though."

"Yeah, congrats man," Logan said as he patted Damon on the shoulder.

Neither Damon or Elena said anything to correct Logan. Instead, they stared at one another and shrugged, deciding to just let it go. As Trevor walked away to get the drinks for the rest of the group, Elijah and Klaus came back to the table. They stopped when they saw Elena and grinned after a moment. "And who is this lovely lady?" Klaus asked.

"This is Elena Gilbert."

"Ah, what a pleasure to meet you," Elijah said, coming around to her side of the table. He took her hand and gently kissed the back of it. "Welcome to the group."

"How do you two know each other?" Andie asked as she studied Elena.

Damon's lips parted to tell them the truth, but Elena spoke first. "I met him about four months ago and we just hit it off from there." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't exactly the truth either.

Vicki laughed. "Obviously."

Rose gave the younger girl a nudge and smiled sweetly at Elena. "What do you do?"

"I'm a student right now. I'm almost done with my Bachelors in English. Then I can get started on my student teaching and hopefully start teaching my own classes within the next year or so," she said and then sighed. "Well, that was the plan. I guess now I'll be able to work on my Master's and by the time that's done, _then _the baby will be old enough where I can teach." She let out a little bit of laughter at that. "Sorry, I got a little carried away."

"That just means you're passionate about what you do," Logan said. "No shame in that."

Elena smiled, for the first time that day feeling at ease. His friends weren't that bad and it really wouldn't be such a bad thing for her to get to know them. "What about you guys?" she asked.

Damon moved closer to her as he reached for the drink Trevor had brought him. With his other hand, he reached for Elena's hand. He frowned when she kept her hand still and after a few seconds, moved it away from him, but said nothing about it. Damon cleared his throat and stepped away. While he was happy that she was making an effort and seemed to be getting along with his friends, it irked him that she wouldn't make any sort of acknowledgement of their relationship. And as the night wore on, he also noticed the way she kept checking the crowd to make sure that she didn't see anyone that she knew.

After a few hours of being there, Andie pulled him outside, saying she needed a smoke break, just so she could talk to him. "What's really the deal with you two?"

"She's Stefan's wife."

"Stefan?" she said and then realized it. "Oh, your brother."

"Yeah."

"So the baby..."

"Might be mine."

Her brow rose at that. "Didn't see that one coming."

He shrugged. "I didn't know she was his wife until after we met."

Andie smiled and patted his arm. "Just make sure you sort out your feelings for her because I would hate to see you be strung along like that."

Before Damon could reply, Elena came outside to join them. "I thought..."

"Oh I don't smoke," Andie said with a grin. "I just wanted to talk to Damon."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"It's okay, I said all that I needed to."

"What's up?" Damon asked as Andie waved before heading back inside.

"I was going to see if you were ready. I know it hasn't been that long, but I'm exhausted."

He nodded, knowing that she wasn't lying. For the last few weeks she had been feeling tired at about this time every night. "Alright, we'll just go in and say goodbye."

"I already did, but I can wait in the car until you do," she said and began heading in that direction. Damon watched her until she rounded the corner before going inside to say goodbye to his friends.

* * *

Once they arrived back at Damon's condo, the irritation that Damon had been feeling all night had built up to the point where he couldn't ignore it any more. Elena sat on the couch, leaning her head against the cushion. Damon remained standing, studying her as she closed her eyes. When she felt him staring at her, her eyes opened and she looked at him quizzically. "Damon?"

"What was with you tonight?"

"What?" she asked, the word coming out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"I appreciate that you put effort into getting to know my friends, but you completely ignored me. You wouldn't let me do something so innocent as hold your hand and your eyes were always scanning the room. You were checking to see if there was anyone familiar. We weren't doing anything wrong tonight Elena."

"I know that."

"No, you don't. If you did, you wouldn't have lied to Caroline." Elena got to her feet then, fully prepared to defend herself, but Damon kept going. "I get that it's only been a couple of months since we started this getting to know each other thing, but I thought by now..."

"That what?" Elena said when he let his voice trail off.

"I get that it's not an easy decision, I do, but it doesn't feel like you're trying. It's starting to feel that you're enjoying having both of us in your life and you have no intention of changing that."

It was a moment of awakening, like having a bucket of ice cold water dumped on her. For a long moment, they stood there, staring at each other. It wasn't until the first tear trickled down her cheek that Elena moved and turned towards the door, picking up her purse on the way.

"Elena, wait," Damon called out, following her towards the elevator.

"What, Damon? You made your point and I understand you loud and clear," she said, stopping to push the button. When the doors opened, Elena entered the elevator and turned to look back at him.

Damon stood between the doors, keeping them from closing all the way. "I'm just being honest with you Elena and in the spirit of that, I have to tell you this too. I feel something strong for you, something I've never felt for anyone. I'm willing to wait for you because I know we can be great together." He smiled and took a deep breath. "But I'm not going to wait forever." And with that, he stepped back; the two of them staring at each other until the doors closed.


	19. Chapter 19

**a/n: Alright, this is sort of the calm before the storm...Some of you have been wondering where Bonnie's character has been and this is exactly where I planned her visit to this story. For those of you that haven't read the books, I did use Book!Bonnie instead of the one from the show because she and Damon got along much better in the book series. That, and I needed a little break from Miss Judgemental haha :) Enjoy!**

**p.s. the next chapter is the one you've all been waiting ever so patiently for! And even though classes started this past week again, I'm going to try my hardest to get it out in a timely fashion :)**

NINETEEN

Damon scanned the labels before him, trying to decide what he wanted. His mind was too distracted with other thoughts to concentrate on the simplest things such as picking out groceries. He was sure he had been staring at the same spot for over five minutes and he still wasn't sure what he had seen. With a sigh, he figured he didn't need anything down that particular aisle and turned to go to the next one. As his cart edged out, it was hit by another one and he was more than surprised that he recognized the girl pushing it.

"Caroline?"

Her eyes went wide as she put a hand over her heart. "Out of all the people I could have run over with my shopping cart," she said, a grin taking hold of her lips.

"What are you doing on this side of town?" he asked, knowing that she lived closer to Elena, meaning this store was out of her way.

She shrugged and pulled her cart off to the side to let other people pass. "It's close to work and I knew if I didn't stop now, I probably wouldn't. What about you?"

"It's pretty close to my place."

"Oh, right. Elena mentioned you live out this way," she said and then frowned. "How sad is that. I've known you for a few months now and I hardly know anything about you."

"That seems about normal," Damon said, a little confused.

"Not for me it isn't," she answered. "What do you say we ditch the grocery store and go have lunch? Get to know each other better in the process."

Damon nodded. "Sure, I don't even know what I want anyway," he said turning his cart around to take it back. Caroline followed him and when they got outside, he stopped and turned to face her. "I'll drive."

"Sounds good to me," she said and followed him to his car.

"Where to?" he asked, deciding it was best to let her pick the venue. He remembered what Elena had told him once that she would always say no unless it was her choice.

"There's a great little place a few streets North."

"Just tell me when to turn," he said and then they were off.

As she gave him directions, Damon wondered what he had gotten himself into. He knew it was probably a good idea to get to know Caroline, but at the same time, he knew that she could read people extremely well. That, and he wondered what they were going to talk about. The good thing was that from prior experience, Caroline seemed to do all the talking.

Soon enough, they were seated in a little restaurant, looking over menus. "I know we've hung out before, but never by ourselves," Caroline said after a long bout of silence. "Elena always has good things about you and since you're family, I think it would be nice to get some one-on-one time, don't you?"

Damon smirked and looked at her over their menus. "I'm already here, aren't I?"

Caroline couldn't help but smile back. The waitress came then and took their drink order, giving them a few more minutes to decide what they wanted to eat. After placing that order, Caroline jumped straight to the question she had been dying to know since she first met him. "So, how is it that we didn't know about you before?"

Damon thought about how to answer her without going too much into detail. He didn't like talking about his past. "I left the moment I was old enough to take care of myself," he started. "I knew Stefan would be fine because Father would never lay a hand on him."

"You didn't try and stay in touch with Stefan?"

"I wanted to, but I never really said I was leaving. I just packed my stuff in the middle of the night and left. I didn't want our father to know where I was. After awhile, I couldn't help but think that Stefan only thought of me as an ass for abandoning him like that."

"Not once did he ever say something like that," Caroline assured him. She could tell that he was a little uncomfortable with that topic and moved on. "So tell me about the places you've been to."

"I did odd jobs around the east coast before I landed a few high profile clients in New York. We even did a two year shoot in Italy before I was informed that my client was going to do something else. It was around that time that I got one of Stefan's letters saying he was in Virginia and I decided to move back. A few months later, I got another letter from him and the rest is history."

"Moving around so much probably wasn't ideal for dating then," Caroline said and then snickered to herself. "Then again, I guess for a guy, that's pretty ideal."

Damon laughed with her. "For some I guess, but not me. You're right though, I didn't have many serious relationships."

"Which is absurd, because from what I know about you, you're quite the catch." The moment the words left her mouth, her eyes widened as an idea came to her. "Are you seeing anyone now?"

Damon knew hesitation would only prompt more questions. "No," he answered.

He saw the gleam in her eye as she grinned from ear-to-ear. "Well, I have a coworker who I've been trying to set up for a while now. I've found a few guys, but they all turned out to be losers who were looking to score a free meal and then some," she said, rolling her eyes. "But I think you guys might hit it off really well."

"Elena mentioned that you like to play matchmaker."

"Is that a yes?" she asked, the tone of her voice telling him that that was the only acceptable answer.

"What could it hurt?" he asked, smiling back at her. "I'm in."

"Great! I'll give her a call later today and see if she's interested then I'll set everything up and tell you when and where to meet, okay?"

Damon nodded. "Thanks Caroline." As Caroline launched into stories about setting up her friends, Damon couldn't help but think about Elena. In a small way, he felt like he was betraying her, but he had told her wasn't going to wait forever. Shaking it off, he tuned back in to what Caroline was saying and decided that he was going to make the most out of their time together.

* * *

The following day, Caroline had called him with the details of his blind date. She had set it up for that night at a restaurant he had never been to before. When he asked for details about the woman, all Caroline would tell him was her name; Bonnie McCollough. For the rest of the afternoon, he had debated on whether or not it was the right thing to do. Ultimately, it was Elena who made the decision for him. An hour before he was to leave, he sent her a message, saying that he wanted to talk, but she never responded.

As Damon walked into the restaurant, he realized he should have asked Caroline to send him a picture of his blind date. Luckily, the Maitre D' had already seated Bonnie a few minutes before and that she had given Damon's name so that he could find her. Her reaction to him was one that he was used to. He had been on a few blind dates and the looks were always the same. No woman believed that her date would look like him and it made Bonnie blush.

"Bonnie?"

"Uh-huh," she said and shook her head as she got to her feet to greet him. "Sorry, I mean yes, I'm Bonnie."

They exchanged an awkward, clumsy hug before sitting across from each other. "You don't have to apologize."

"You _are_ Damon Salvatore, right?"

"As far as I know," he answered.

Bonnie blinked and put her hands on her flushed cheeks. She then cleared her throat and let out a small, nervous laugh. "I didn't expect you to be so..." She shook her head again. "God, I was never good at thinking before I speak."

Damon smiled, watching as her cheeks became close to the color of her strawberry blonde curls. "It's charming. Besides, Caroline didn't tell me that you would be as gorgeous as you are either," he said, hoping to make her feel more at ease with him.

It seemed to work as the flush in her cheeks receded, revealing her fair skin tone. "Please," she said with a little wave of her hand. After taking a sip of her water, she reached across the table and stuck her hand out towards him. "Hi, I'm Bonnie McCollough."

"Damon Salvatore," he said, shaking her hand.

"Caroline has told me nothing about you."

"Likewise," he replied.

"How do you know her?" she asked.

"She's my brother's wife's best friend."

"You're Stefan's brother?"

"You know Stefan?"

She shrugged a little. "He and Elena came to one of our office parties once. Other than that, all I know about him is from what Caroline tells me. I didn't know he had a brother."

"It's a long story," Damon supplied. Bonnie nodded, knowing that particular tale wasn't first date conversation. Instead, they launched into their basic background stories as they waited for their food to arrive. "So Bonnie, what's the most interesting fact about yourself?"

"My family lineage can actually be traced back to the Druids. Some even believe that the magic still exists and they practice it today. My grandmother practices regularly which is why she and my mom never really got along. Since it's skips a generation, I'm able to conduct it as well and-" She stopped mid-sentence and blushed again. "And now you think I'm crazy."

Damon shook his head. "I don't think so. I've always been interested in that kind of stuff. I think it's really amazing that you were able to trace your linage that far back. To be able to experience the same thing as one of your ancestors is something I'm quite jealous of."

"Do you know anything about your family tree?"

"Just that they were a bunch of aristocrats in Italy. Stefan and I are first generation American Salvatores. My mother was a history buff, always interested in finding out this sort of thing, but she passed away when I was younger. My father was never interested in it and we don't have any family but us."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bonnie said, unsure of what else to say.

"Anyway, tell me more about the Druid thing. I'm sure you've got some stories and I would love to hear them."

Eagerly, Bonnie shared the stories that had been passed on through the generations, allowing Damon to keep silent and listen to her talk for the majority of the evening. When they were finished with dinner, Damon paid the bill and walked with her outside. "I had a great time Damon. I would really love to do this again sometime," she said, standing close to him.

The last thing Damon wanted to do was give her false hope. So instead of promising that he would, he pulled her into a friend-like hug. "I had a great time too, Bonnie. I'm glad Caroline set this up." With that, they said their goodbyes and parted ways for the evening.

On the way home, Damon thought about his date with Bonnie. He truly liked her. He could easily imagine being in a relationship with her. That brought his thoughts back to Elena. He loved her; he knew that, but it had been almost a week since their fight and not once had she spoken to him. He knew they were fated to be together, no matter how much they fought it, but if that were true, he had to tell her about tonight. What Elena decided to do with that information where their relationship was concerned was up to her. Damon wanted them to work, but he needed to know that she felt the same way. With that, he had made up his mind; the next time he saw her, they were going to figure things out no matter what.


	20. Chapter 20

**a/n: Okay guys, here is the chapter you have all been waiting ever so patiently for. I hope this doesn't disappoint :)**

**p.s. sorry, couldn't resist (you'll know what I mean when you finish reading) ;)****  
**  
TWENTY

After a week of not speaking to Damon and hardly uttering a word to Stefan, Elena had come to the conclusion that just making a decision was the hardest thing she would ever have to do. Her mind was telling her that staying with Stefan was the right thing to do, that she shouldn't just walk away from her marriage. Her heart, on the other hand, was telling her to run to Damon and never look back. As she drove over to his condo to have the talk she knew she couldn't avoid any longer, she hoped that she would have her answer when she saw him again.

Her heart pounded against her chest as she walked from the elevator to his door. It nearly stopped beating all together as she knocked and waited for him to open it. Slowly, the door swung open and Damon stood just beyond the threshold. There was no other emotion on his face except for a bit of surprise. He said nothing as he stepped back and gestured for her to come in. It wasn't until he shut the door that he gave a slight smile. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

"I know it's been awhile, but I just needed some time to think things over."

Damon nodded at that. "I know I came on a little strong last time, but-"

Elena cut him off by shaking her head. "No, you were right about everything and I think it's time we talked about all of this."

"Okay."

Elena took a deep breath and looked at him. She had convinced herself on the way over that her decision would be made when she saw him, but as of right now, she was still in limbo as to what was really the right choice. Follow her heart of follow her head? "I just... I don't know where to start."

Damon studied her and gave a short nod. He figured now was a good a time as any to bring up the topic he was least looking forward to. "I went on a date last week," he said, watching her to gauge her reaction.

Elena had been prepared to talk about anything and everything; except for this. This, she never expected. Almost immediately jealousy coursed through her, making her stand straighter as she stared at him with wide eyes. "What?"

Damon had also not been expecting her reaction to be quite like this. He noticed that she was beginning to shake a little; with fear, jealousy, or anger, he wasn't sure. "I ran into Caroline last week and we went to lunch. She asked me if I was seeing anyone and I told her no. She set me up with one of her coworkers, Bonnie."

"You're seeing other people now?" she asked. She took a deep breath as she tried to numb the pain of her heart being torn in two.

"I told you I wasn't going to wait for you, Elena."

"That was a week ago, Damon," she countered, her voice tinged with venom.

"I didn't plan for it to happen. It just did and I was not going to sit around and wait for you to make up your mind. I wasn't going to let life pass me by. Especially since I still don't think that you're trying very hard at making a decision."

Elena shook her head in disbelief. "I..." she snorted then, unable to come up with anything to say.

Damon inclined his head. "That feeling of jealousy and rage you're feeling right now is probably a fraction of what I feel each and every time you go home to Stefan. Every time I think about him touching you or looking at you makes me sick to my stomach. I love you, Elena, I do, but what did you think was going happen? Did you expect me to just wait while you played the field? How is that fair?"

"You think this is easy for me?" she asked. "I have tried to tell him how I feel about you and what's been going on between us, but then he says something about the baby and he's so happy. Am I supposed to just walk up to him and say 'sorry Stefan, I don't love you anymore. The baby you're so excited about probably isn't yours and oh, by the way, I'm leaving you. And just in case that didn't hurt you enough, I'm leaving your for your long lost brother who _is _quite possibly the baby's father and I'm in love with him.' It would kill him."

Damon felt as though she had slapped him across the face as guilt washed over him. Hearing that out loud made him feel like an ass for being so harsh on her. Of course this wasn't easy for her; it wouldn't be for anyone. His heart skipped a beat as he went over the last part of what she had said and wondered if it was a true omission or a slip of the tongue. Either way, he had to press forward to get an answer. "So what are you doing then? Are you just going to wait until you know who the father is before choosing because I don't think I want to wait that long."

"Damon-"

"I honestly believe that you would stay with Stefan if the baby was his even though we're clearly meant to be. Actually, I believe that you would stay with him even if it were mine."

"How could you think that?"

Damon shrugged. "It's not like you've given me any evidence to the contrary."

Elena closed her eyes against the gathering tears, hoping that they would go away before they fell. She jumped slightly as she felt Damon's arms around her, his hand stroking her back in a soothing manner. Her heart skipped a beat as she inhaled the spicy scent of his shirt. Even after all their fighting, he was still trying to comfort her. After all the pain she had caused him by making him wait, he was still hoping that she would chose him. It was in that moment that she finally made up her mind; she was following her heart.

"I don't want you to see anyone else," she murmured into his chest. "I love you. Deep down, I know that you're the baby's father and I don't care if DNA says otherwise. We have something that others would kill to find and I would be a fool to walk away from it." She pulled back enough to look at him, surprised to find tears gathered in his eyes too. "I'm making my decision; you. It's always been you."

Damon leaned in and kissed her with a passion that they could feel in every part of their bodies. It was as if they had truly become one; that her admittance of love had made it more real somehow.

"What now?" Damon asked as he broke the kiss, leaning his forehead against hers.

"I have to tell him. The sooner the better."

Damon nodded and grabbed her hand as she started to walk past him. "I'm going with you."

"He's not coming home until tomorrow," she said. "Besides, I think it would be better if it came from me. If both of us are there, I think it would be too much."

"I just think-"

"I _will_ tell him, Damon. I have to," she said and moved in to kiss his lips lightly before pulling out of his grasp. "I love you."

"I love you too," he replied as he watched her walk out and close the door behind her.

* * *

The entire cab ride home, Stefan couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He had been thinking of Elena and the look of surprise on her face when he showed up a day early. It had been an extremely productive week and he had decided to give everyone an extra day to their weekend, allowing him in particular to spend an extra day at home with his wife and child on the way. The excitement rose as the cab turned down his street and he began to pull out his wallet for the fare. After paying the driver, he grabbed his things from the trunk and headed to the curb. Before going inside, he decided to check the mail, taking the contents inside before looking at them.

He set his things on the inside of the door and called for Elena. No answer. He pulled out his phone and gave her a call, but there was no answer. He peeked inside the garage and saw that her car was gone. He smirked; that gave him time to plan an even better surprise. With that in mind, he walked to the kitchen and set the mail on the bar to sort it out. There was one letter in particular that caught his attention. It was from Dr. Corbin's office, but it was addressed to Elena only. Thinking it was updates on the baby, he opened it.

His body went rigid as he read the document over and over again in disbelief. There had to be some mistake. Yet, there it was, before his very eyes in print. He set the letter down gently and backed away from the bar as he ran over everything in his mind. He remembered the way Elena had reacted to Damon when he showed up on their doorstep for the first time. He remembered all the awkward tension around them. That feeling in the air between them that he could never place made sense now. The little things he had witnessed began to add up and it made him sick to his stomach. His brother and his wife; right under his very nose. He could only stare at the letter as he tried to wrap his mind around it; his whole world crashing down around him.

* * *

As Elena turned onto her street, she knew something was wrong. She couldn't tell what it was, but she just _knew_. The moment the garage door opened, fear kicked in. Stefan's car was gone. She practically ran into the house from the garage and looked around, trying to figure out what was different. The moment she stepped foot into the kitchen, her phone rang; it was Caroline. "Hey."

"Guess who came home early! Although you probably already know."

"Stefan and Tyler came back today?"

"He should be there already," Caroline said, her voice becoming a little concerned.

"I just got home and his car isn't here."

"Well, Tyler says he was planning something. Maybe he went out to get a few things?"

Elena let out a deep breath of relief, but it didn't calm her nerves as much as she would have liked. "I'm sure you're right. Thanks for ruining it by the way," she teased.

"Sorry, I thought he would have stuck around. I was going to see if you two wanted to go out for dinner, but I guess not. Let me know when he gets back alright?"

"Alright," Elena replied and hung up. It was then that her eyes came across the pile of mail on the bar. Again, the feeling of dread crept up her spine and fear washed over her. "No," she breathed as she saw the open letter with the heading from the doctor's office. She snatched it up already knowing what it was and tears stung her eyes.

In her hands were the results of the paternity test. Damon was the father. The fact that the letter was already opened meant that Stefan had come home and seen this before she had had her chance to explain.

Heart racing in her chest, tears gliding down her cheeks, Elena bolted upstairs to find almost every article of Stefan's wardrobe had been taken along with all their luggage. She moved to the office to discover that his important documents and files were gone as well. She sought her phone with shaky hands and saw that she had missed a call from him not too long ago. She called him back several times, receiving voicemail each and every time. Elena sat in the office chair and placed a hand over her stomach. Something was wrong; she could feel it. There was a sharp pain shooting up her side that wasn't there before. Giving up on Stefan for the moment, she called Damon.

"That was too fast."

"I haven't told him yet," she said as she got up and crossed the hall to the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" he asked, hearing the pain and tears in her voice.

Elena held the phone to her shoulder with her cheek as she slowly pushed her jeans and underwear down. A stifled cry escaped her lips as she saw the blood on her clothes.

"Elena?" his voice was filled with fear now. "Elena, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"The baby," she whispered. "Something's wrong with the baby."

"I'm on my way," he said and she heard the door slam in the background. "Just stay on the line, okay? Keep talking to me."

Elena nodded as she pulled her clothes back up, but the pain coursed through her again and she doubled over, dropping the phone in the process. She heard Damon yell her name before she lowered herself to lie on the cool tile. Not long after that, the sound of Damon's voice faded and so did the vision of everything before her and for just a moment the pain stopped; right before the world turned black.


	21. Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

The faint sound of a steady beep filled her ears followed shortly after by the scent of cleaning products. It pulled her from the darkness and when she opened her eyes, she was greeted by unfamiliar stark white walls. A brief panic settled over her causing the steady beat to speed up and get a little louder. As she began to realize where she was, she also remembered the events that had brought her here. She swallowed thickly and pulled down the rough sheets enough to see her belly. She placed her hand over the barely there bump and calmed a little. For a moment, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly; the beep returning to it's steady rhythm.

"Elena? Thank God," came Damon's voice and Elena opened her eyes to see him coming through the door to her hospital room. He rushed to her side and grabbed her hand tightly in his. "You scared me."

"I scared me too," she whispered and tried to smile, but couldn't. Instead, she felt tears hit her cheeks and she closed her eyes again. "He's gone."

Damon went still at her words and frowned. "Stefan?"

She nodded and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She looked at him and as she opened her mouth to explain, there was a knock at the door and Doctor Corbin walked in. "Elena, I'm so very happy to see you awake. You gave us all quite the scare."

Elena felt a surge of panic again at the sight of the doctor. "Is everything okay with the baby?"

Doctor Corbin nodded and moved to stand by her other side and placed his hand gently on her arm. "You must have been under quite a bit of stress to cause the kind of tear that you did. Luckily, you noticed it right away otherwise..." he let his voice trail off and gave them both a reassuring smile. "There was a tear in your uterine wall. Usually, it leads to a miscarriage, but we were able to repair it with a simple procedure. The baby is doing very well, but we would still like to keep you here for a few days to monitor the both of you, okay?"

Elena nodded as she tightened her grip on Damon's hand. "How will this affect the rest of my pregnancy?"

Doctor Corbin looked between the two of them and took a deep breath. "I will be putting you on bed rest for the duration of your pregnancy. I fear that stress might cause more damage and putting you on bed rest will eliminate the majority of the risks. I know it might sound like a lot considering you're only eighteen weeks, but it's for the best."

Elena looked at Damon and he smiled reassuringly back at her. "We'll see to it that she takes it easy," Damon said.

Doctor Corbin nodded and patted her arm again. "I'll be back to check up on you soon," he said and left the room, closing the door gently behind him.

Elena closed her eyes again as she tried to fight back the tears that kept pouring from the corners of her eyes. Damon moved to lay at her side so that he could wrap his arms around her. She clung to his shirt as she buried her face into his shirt. Damon wasn't sure how to go about bringing up the subject of Stefan again without upsetting her further, so he said nothing. He figured if she wanted to talk about it, she would bring it up herself.

After a long bout of silence, Elena was able to get herself under control and she began talking about what had happened at the house. "I knew something was wrong the closer I got to the house. The moment I got there, I opened the garage to find that his car was gone. I called out for him, but he never answered. I tried calling his phone, but it went straight to voicemail each time. When I saw the letter on the bar, I just _knew_. I went upstairs only to find that all of his clothes were gone and so were some of the more important things from his office."

"What letter?"

Elena bit her lip nervously, trying to judge how mad he would be at her for keeping this sort of thing from him. "I had a paternity test done," she admitted and held her breath as she waited for an outburst of anger from him.

"When?" he asked, his voice a little stiffer than usual.

"When I was nine weeks along."

"Why?"

She knew exactly what he meant by that question and she was prepared to answer him as honestly as she could. "I did it because I wanted solid proof. I wanted to confirm what I already knew; that the baby was yours and not Stefan's." She was silent a moment as she listened to his heartbeat. "I don't know if I would have opened it or not. Not knowing was driving me just as insane as actually knowing would have."

Damon stared at her before looking up at the ceiling. "Stefan left because of the letter."

"More likely due to the results," she said quietly and felt her lips twitch as Damon's heart skipped a beat. She pushed herself up just enough so that she could see his face. "You are the father. Officially."

Damon reached down and cupped one side of her face, a big smile taking hold of his lips. After a long moment, Elena returned her head to his chest and let her eyes close. "I have to ask, if you had seen the results before Stefan; before you and I had had it out, would have chosen differently?"

"No," Elena replied without hesitating. "Like I said earlier, it's always been you. I just wish it had been revealed a little differently."

"Me too," Damon muttered and closed his eyes. "Me too."

"Will you stay here tonight?"

"Like I would rather be anywhere else," he scoffed and tightened his hold. "Get some rest Elena, you'll be out of here soon enough."

While the thought of leaving made Elena panic slightly, she nodded and tried to let the events of the previous hours fade to the background so that she could wake to another day where things could start fresh.

* * *

After spending three nights in the hospital, Elena was finally being released. She signed her discharge papers and was wheeled outside by a nurse as Damon pulled his car up to the door. "Thank you," she said as the nurse took the wheelchair away when Damon helped her into the passenger seat. Her lower body was still a little sore from the procedure, but she was more than happy to be slightly uncomfortable if it meant getting to leave the hospital. She smiled at Damon as he got behind the wheel, but the moment he started driving, Elena felt that familiar panic at the prospect of going home. "Pull over somewhere," she said sternly.

Damon pulled away from the entrance and into the nearest parking lot. "What's wrong? Do we need to go back inside?"

"No," she answered, shaking her head. "It's just..." She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at him. "I don't think I can go to the house."

"Elena-"

"I know Stefan's still gone, but either way, if he comes back-"

"When."

"If," Elena corrected. "He's not coming back Damon. Not for a little bit anyway. I'm sure Tyler filled him in on what's happening, but if he were going to come, don't you think he would be here already?" Elena took his silence as a yes and continued. "I just can't stomach the idea of sitting there, unable to do anything for myself wondering if he's going to return, because that will cause stress and stress-"

Damon reached over and took both of her hands in his. "Elena, listen to me. No one said you have to go back to your house. I can take you anywhere, but wherever you go, you're going to have to stay until the baby comes."

"I know."

"I can take you to Caroline's or any of your parent's houses, but you have to make a decision now. Someone will go get your things for you; whatever you need."

Elena gave him a faint smile as she stared into his pleading blue eyes. "Okay."

"You can even stay with me if you want. I know it's a little soon, but..."

Elena couldn't keep her smile from widening and tears gathered in her eyes. The thought of him being willing to take care of her through all of this was more than she could have asked for. He gave her a worried look and she laughed nervously. "Are you sure about this?"

"What's not to be sure of?" he countered. "That's my kid in there and I'm in love with you. Honestly, I would be a little offended if you went anywhere else."

Elena knew he was kidding for most part, but she could still hear a hint of seriousness in his voice. "I can have Caroline get my things and bring them over later tonight."

"You can even have the other bedroom all to yourself if you want."

"Why? We both know we'll end up sleeping next to each other anyway."

Damon grinned. "I was hoping you would say that." With that, he started driving towards his condo, her hand still in his.

While they were both excited to start their life together, neither one of them was overlooking the fact that Stefan's heart had been broken by them. As much as it bothered both of them that he had given her the cold shoulder when something of this nature had happened, they were determined to give him space and let him come around on his own. There was nothing Elena could say or do to change the past and there was no use dwelling on it now when the future of her child rested in her ability to stay as stress free as possible.

* * *

Damon opened the door to Caroline who stormed past him after a deadly stare. "Elena's things are in the car. Where is she?" she asked as she held out her key and handed it to him.

"Down the hall, the door's open, you'll see her," he replied, figuring it was best not to say anything else. He shook his head as she made her way to the bedroom and left the condo to give them some time to talk.

"What the hell is going on? First you're in the hospital because you almost lost the baby and now you're staying here with Damon because Stefan left; all of which I found out from your _brother_. Start talking," Caroline demanded as she sat cross legged on the edge of the bed, facing Elena.

Elena pushed herself up a little more so that she was comfortable. She knew Caroline wasn't going anywhere until she had every detail. "Did you bring the letter on the bar that I asked for?" she asked, knowing that she would have looked at it too.

"Yes. How in the world is it possible for Damon to be the father of your child? You didn't meet him until after the wedding."

Elena shook her head slightly. "A week before the wedding, I left Stefan. Or, at least that's what I was trying to do. I was tired of feeling like the walls were closing in around me so I had to get out. I just drove and when I stopped, I came to this little bar. I figured I would have a few drinks and just try to sort things out. Well, this guy came over and started talking to me," she said with a light smile. "He prevented a group of college guys chatting me up. We talked, drank, and played pool all night. We told each other our first names, but that was it. At the end of the night, the bartender called us a cab and since his place was closer, we went there first. We said goodbye and right as the cabbie started to drive, I made him stop and I ran after the guy from the bar."

Caroline's eyes went wide. "I'm shocked."

"Me too," Elena replied. "I don't know how to explain it, but the thought of letting him go without being with him was painful. His kiss, his touch; everything about that night was ten times better than anything I've experienced before. It was like we were connected on a level I didn't even know existed."

"But you came back?" Caroline said in a quiet voice.

Elena nodded. "I told him that if it were meant to be, we would run into each other again without knowing each other's last names or exchanging phone numbers. He told me that he believed in fate more than anyone else and that we would be running into each other again." She shrugged and looked at her hands as they absentmindedly played with the blanket draped across her lap. "I was scared; scared that I had found my soulmate, but I just couldn't leave Stefan because of some great one night stand."

"So you came back," Caroline repeated with a sigh.

"Six weeks later, I find out that I'm pregnant and just as Stefan finds out, his long lost brother shows up and turns out to be my one night stand. I was horrified at first, afraid that he would say something or that I would, but that never happened. Damon and I started to get to know each other then and one thing led to another and... I was on my way home to tell Stefan about us that night, but he had already found the letter and was gone by the time I got home." She waited a moment or too before she looked up at her friend, hoping that the blonde wasn't too disappointed. "I love him Caroline. I know what I did was heartless and cruel, but I never meant for it to happen this way."

Caroline stared at Elena as she began to fall apart. Without hesitation, she moved to sit beside her friend and wrapped her arms around Elena's shoulders. "Listen to me and listen good. You are one of the best people I know. You're too good sometimes. You have spent the majority of your life making sure that others are happy and I've watched you sacrifice your own happiness just to make it happen. I honestly believe that if you had stayed with Stefan, you would have been miserable. Yes, you two were a pretty awesome couple, but if you don't feel for him what you feel for someone else; someone you haven't known as long, you would have come to resent both yourself and Stefan."

"He hates me."

"Probably." Caroline wasn't going to sugarcoat anything. "But give him time. He called Tyler last night and said he's back in New York. He didn't say anything else, but at least he's talking to someone. I'm sure if he knew..."

"If he knew he would feel guilty and then I would feel even more guilty than I already to," Elena whispered.

Caroline patted her shoulder and pulled back a little. "Hey, look at me. Stefan will come around, but who knows when that will be."

"I know."

"Will you promise me something?" she asked. When Elena nodded, Caroline continued. "I want you to promise me that you will keep your head up and enjoy the rest of your pregnancy and the fact that Damon is here for you. I know it's not exactly an ideal situation, but..."

"I promise," Elena said and turned her head as she heard the front door open.

"Damon brought your stuff in from the car. I should probably go now, you need to rest. Call me if you need anything okay?"

"I will. Thanks, Care."

"I love you," she said before dropping a kiss on Elena's cheek.

"Love you too," Elena replied as Caroline walked away.

In the living room, Caroline stopped in front of Damon, folding her arms across her chest. "Look, Caroline, I'm really not in the mood to argue with you about anything."

"I don't want to argue; I want to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"Elena never does anything for herself. She always puts other people's happiness and wants before her own. The fact that you were the one to get her to chose you even though she would have to break Stefan's heart is huge. It's going to be a long, messy road for the three of you, so don't you walk away from her."

"I wouldn't. Even if you held a gun to my head."

Caroline chuckled and held her hand out for her keys. "Alright, this is where I take my leave then. Oh, and tell Elena I won't say a word to anyone about this until she's ready for anyone to know."

"Thank you," Damon said as he opened the door for her. He waved as she walked out and then he shut the door in her wake. He then made his way to the bedroom where Elena was already lying on her side with the comforter pulled around her. "All of your stuff is in the living room."

"It can wait until tomorrow," she mumbled.

Damon nodded and crawled into bed beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a kiss on her shoulder while he rested his hands on his stomach. Just as he was about to say something about Caroline's visit, he and Elena both jumped. "What the hell was that?" he asked.

"I think that's the baby kicking," Elena mused.

"That was one hell of a kick."

Elena nodded and jumped as she experienced another movement. "I read somewhere that babies tend to get restless right before the mother goes to sleep," she said, shifting to lie on her back. "Thanks kid," she replied sarcastically.

Damon smiled and leaned in to kiss her cheek. He rubbed her stomach in the hopes that the baby would move again. Instead, it seemed to calm both mother and child because the next thing he knew, they were both still. He smiled more and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him as well.


	22. Chapter 22

**a/n: Alright you guys, this is a filler chapter. Next week is an easy week for me hw wise, so I'm going to put as much effort into this story as possible because I finished Written in Blood :)**

**As for my next projects, I have two that I already started: Written in the Stars: Rise of the Doppelganger and Of Different Worlds. I guess my creativity started flowing again because I'll also be working on two other stories as well: The Story of Us and Within Temptation: The Art of Compulsion. Yes, it is a sequel to The Art of Possession :) More details coming later once I have a solid outline.**

**p.s. I already know what sex the baby is going to be, the rest of you are going to have to wait haha ;)****  
**  
TWENTY-TWO

Elena leaned against the car and took a deep breath. This was the first time she had been outside the condo in two weeks and it was only because Doctor Corbin could not make a house call for this appointment. Damon grinned as he opened the passenger door for her which immediately faded when she glared at him. "What did I do?"

"Just because I'm on bed rest doesn't mean I'm useless. I just have to walk slow and take it easy."

Damon smirked again and stepped back, holding his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. Tell you what; I'll even let you buckle yourself in."

Elena made a face at him as he hurried around the car to climb in behind the wheel. "Do you think we could stop at the grocery store after we're done?" Elena asked once they were on the road.

"We can ask Doctor Corbin, but I think that might be pushing it. You heard him yourself Elena, the only reason he's letting you come to the hospital is because the ultrasound isn't portable."

She sighed and turned her head to look out the window. "I know." The fact that they were meeting Doctor Corbin at the hospital instead of his office told her that her condition was very serious. "God, it's only been two weeks and I already feel like I'm going bored out of my mind. If I'm not sleeping, I'm doing homework. I can only get so ahead in my classes."

Damon reached over for her hand. "Get all the rest you can now because from what I remember, neither of us will be getting any after the baby is born."

Elena laughed and squeezed his hand. "That won't be the only thing neither of us gets for awhile."

He pouted and pulled his hand away from hers. "Well played."

The rest of the ride was filled with companionable silence. Once they reached the hospital, Damon pulled up to the entrance and went inside to call for a wheelchair, no matter how much Elena protested. Reluctantly, she agreed and let him wheel her inside. A nurse led them to one of the exam rooms right away and just as Elena was moving to sit in the patient chair, Doctor Corbin came into the room.

"How are you feeling today, Elena?"

"I'm feeling very good," she replied and smiled as she laid back in the chair. "Very glad to be out of the house for once."

He smiled softly. "I know it's hard, but it's for the best, I assure you."

"I know it is, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep the little one safe."

Doctor Corbin nodded and looked around the room for a moment. "Stefan won't be joining us today either?"

Both of them had been dreading that question for quite some time. It was bad enough that Elena's family had been asking non stop as well. Luckily, Caroline and Isobel had been able to fill in what they thought the family should know until Elena was ready to tell them the full story herself. Elena took a deep breath and smiled nervously as she looked between Damon and her doctor. "Stefan is... We're no longer together."

"Oh," he said, only mildly surprised. "I'm very sorry to hear that."

Elena nodded, but didn't know what else to say. Damon jumped in and changed the subject to save them both further embarrassment. "So what will we be learning from this ultrasound?"

Doctor Corbin cleared his throat and moved to sit in the chair on Elena's other side. "Well, we're just checking the progress of the baby since you now officially five months along. Depending on the way the baby is positioned, I might even be able to tell you what you're having."

Elena's eyes widened significantly and she turned to see Damon with a similar expression. "I don't know if I want to know," she replied.

"Well, I can write down my findings and make a note in your chart. If you want to know, all you'll have to do is ask." Elena and Damon both nodded and Doctor Corbin went about setting up the ultrasound.

* * *

Damon stopped what he was doing at the stove and looked at Elena with alarm. "Would you please stop trying on different outfits and just sit down?"

"This happens to be a very important dinner," she said as she gestured for him to look at her latest pick.

"I get that, I do, but I don't think you're taking your bed rest orders very well," he said, coming around from the kitchen. He grabbed her shoulders and steered her towards the couch, giving her a little push until she sat. "You look great in everything you own, so please, just sit unless you absolutely have to get up."

Elena heard the anxiety in his voice and gave him a nod. He kissed her lips briefly before returning to the kitchen. "Are you sure you're really worried about the dinner having stress on me or are you worried that my dads are going to kick your ass?"

Damon glared at her from across the room before he allowed himself to smile faintly. "Both," he admitted.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty sure they'll go easy on you. At least until I have the baby, then..." she said and shrugged. "Then you're on your own."

"Comforting, thank you."

"Honestly, I think the worst one would be Isobel, but she's known about everything for awhile now and hey look, you're still here," she replied with a cheeky grin.

"Really? I would have pegged the worst to be John. Now he looks like he could do some damage to me."

Elena laughed and leaned back against the couch. "I told you tonight would be fun and it will be. Just be yourself and they'll love you."

Damon nodded and went back to cooking. He wasn't so sure that everything would go as smoothly as Elena thought. He was more than certain John and Grayson were going to tear him a new one for tearing his daughter's life apart and making a dishonest woman of her. He had never really been good with parents before, least of all fathers. In fact, he couldn't even recall the last time he had actually been serious enough about a woman to want to meet her family at all.

A knock at the door broke his concentration. "I'll get it," Elena said.

"The hell you will," he replied and started moving before she had gotten up. She sighed and smiled as he opened the door for both sets of her parents.

"Thank you all for coming," Damon said politely as he stepped back to let them in.

Isobel cupped his cheek as she walked by. "Thank you for inviting us," she said.

"This place is exquisite," Miranda said as she looked around. "What kind of work do you do?"

"Mom," Elena said sternly from her spot on the couch. "I think the interrogation can wait a little bit."

Damon shook his head. "I do a lot of free lance work for high profile clients."

"Such as?" Grayson added.

"Cover art for all types of media, photography, painting; you name it, I do it. And there's the added bonus of royalties and the ability to work from home; wherever that is."

"So you do a lot of moving?" John asked and Elena sighed loudly.

"I did, but my priorities have changed," he assured them as he went back to the kitchen to put the final touches on dinner. "Please feel free to make yourself at home. Would anyone care for a drink?"

Isobel sat down next to Elena then. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing well. We went to the doctor yesterday and had another ultrasound. Everything is progressing as it should and Doctor Corbin even identified the sex of the baby."

"And?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

Elena shrugged. "We didn't want to know yet."

"That's cruel," Isobel remarked and turned her head to watch Damon interact with the other three guests. "They have a lot of questions about all of this still."

"I know."

"I'm very honored that you felt comfortable enough to talk to me, but I think you should set them straight too. They don't even know that the baby is Damon's yet so they're having trouble understanding any of this."

Elena nodded and looked over at them to find Damon smiling nervously at her. "How do I even start to say something like that?"

"You don't have to tell them every detail; just give them the condensed version. You can always fill them in later."

She nodded again. "I'll tell them, but not tonight. I don't want to get into it right now."

"Dinner's ready," Damon announced as he began plating, knowing that the questions were only just beginning. He sent another look across the room to Elena and she smiled back as Isobel helped her up.

* * *

Once dinner and dessert were finished and cleaned up, the men moved to the living room to talk to Damon as the women stayed at the dining room table. "So how exactly did you end up taking care of Elena?" John asked as he took a sip of his beer.

"It seemed like the natural thing. She's the mother of my child; it was the least I could do." As both older men stared at him with surprise, Damon realized that Elena hadn't exactly come clean with the details yet.

"Excuse me?" both men said in unison.

Damon sighed and debated on whether or not it was his place to say anything. "Long story short, I met a girl that I fell absolutely head over heals in love with. In less than twenty-four hours I knew there was something deep between us. Six weeks later, I go to meet my long lost little brother only to have the girl of my dreams be his new bride." He shrugged and took a long sip of his drink. "One thing led to another and now we're here."

"So where's Stefan?"

"He left when the paternity results came back. He saw them before Elena and I had the chance to explain and now he won't return any of our calls."

Grayson and John both eyed him wearily before John spoke again. "Do you love her?"

"Yes."

"Then I guess that's all that matters, but if you ever hurt her..."

Damon grinned. "I think we all know that if I hurt her, there's going to be nothing left once Caroline gets through with me."

Both older men smiled in agreement. "We still have a lot of getting to know each other left to do," Grayson reminded him.

Damon nodded and looked up to see Elena getting up along with her mothers. "I think it's time we should go," Miranda said and after saying a hasty goodbye, she was the first one out the door.

"She didn't take the news very well. Her family doesn't really believe in divorce," Elena explained as the other three guests watched her leave.

"She'll come around," Grayson said as he moved to kiss Elena's forehead. "Are you happy?" he asked in a whisper.

"Yes."

"Then I don't care about the details," he said as he pulled away and then looked sternly at both her and Damon. "But the two of you need to confront Stefan as soon as you can. That boy is still part of this family and he deserves an explanation."

They nodded and said their final goodbyes. Once they had all left, Elena went in search for her phone. "What are you doing?"

"Dad was right, we need to talk to Stefan, but I'm not putting us on hold because he won't talk to us. I'm leaving him one last message and then it's up to him." Damon nodded and stood in the doorway as Elena sat on the bed to make the call. "Stefan, it's Elena. I know you don't want to talk to me, but we need to. Obviously, you need time and space, but it's been two weeks. This will be my last call for awhile, so when you're ready to talk, please, let me know." Unsure of what else to say, there was a long pause of silence before Elena just sighed and hung up. Damon moved to her side and just pulled her into his arms as they let the silence close around them.


	23. Chapter 23

**a/n: I don't know if I made this clear or not, but this chapter is two weeks after ch 22. Yes, I will be time jumping through the rest of the story since I'm sure not many of you would like to read about Elena on bed rest for the next few months lol.**

**Some of you asked before if Stefan was going to find someone else or something along those lines and I never thought about it until now. Your answer is below :)**

**And I know alot of you are wanting Delena alone time, so I'll try to sneak some in during the next few chapters. I have this outlined for 26, maybe 27 chapters all together, so be prepared...****  
**  
TWENTY-THREE

Damon briefly knocked on the door to Elena's house before letting himself in with the key she had given him. Caroline's car was already in the driveway, but she had locked the door behind her. "Caroline?" he called out.

"Upstairs!" she yelled, her voice carrying down the stairs with ease.

Damon locked the door behind him and made his way upstairs where he found Caroline in the master bedroom. The majority of Elena's clothes were on the bed and the dresser drawers were all pulled open. "I don't think this will fit in my closet," he said with a frown.

"Most of this is mine," she replied as she continued to separate the clothes into different piles. "I'm taking that stuff with me and sorting through the rest."

"So why did you want me to meet you here?" he asked, having been wondering that all morning.

Caroline paused and kept silent for a long moment before looking at him. "I wanted your opinion on something."

Damon was beyond confused now. "_My_ opinion?"

She nodded. "If I asked Elena about this, it might upset her and I don't want to risk it."

Damon inclined his head. "Okay..."

"I'm going to New York this weekend," she said, hoping that he would catch on to what that meant. When she saw the moment it registered with him she continued. "I don't want to meddle, but that's what I do best. I just want to try and talk some sense into him, you know? I won't tell Elena about any of this though. You have my word on that."

"So what do you need my opinion on?"

"Whether it's the right thing to do or not," she said with a simple shrug as she went back to sorting Elena's clothes.

Damon debated the pros and cons silently. While he didn't exactly like the idea of Caroline butting in, he knew Stefan's absence was driving Elena crazy. He too was curious as to what his little brother was up to. "Alright," he said and gave another curt nod. "As long as none of this gets back to Elena."

"Thank you," she said and smiled at him. "I'm not going to get too personal or anything. He's just a good friend and practically family. It hurts me that he's hurting too."

Damon smiled at her as she moved about the room. "You really are an amazing person. I don't think anyone could have a better friend than you in their lives."

She grinned widely at him. "And don't you ever forget it," she replied.

They were silent for a moment before Damon thought of something he had been working up the nerve to ask her. "Hey, has Elena ever mentioned to you about what she wanted to do for the nursery?"

Caroline paused as she mulled it over, only to shake her head. "She hasn't mentioned anything specific. I know she wasn't going to do the room based on gender whether she knew it or not. That was never her style. Why do you ask?"

Damon grinned. "Can you keep another secret from Elena?"

Caroline stopped and looked at him with eyes shining full of glee. "I like where this is headed."

"Well, since she can't do much, I was thinking of transforming the second room into the nursery. I can do most of the work when she's asleep during the day. She's been such a heavy sleeper lately that I think I can get it done without her ever knowing. And I was kind of hoping that I could get some help here and there."

"Can I be there for the reveal?"

"Of course."

"Deal!" she said excitedly and smiled just as bright. "I can't wait to tell me your ideas," she said and went about sorting some more as he told her his plans for the nursery.

* * *

"Where are you going?" Tyler asked as Caroline got to her feet and began to dress.

"It's after six. You said Stefan's usually back around then."

"So?"

"So I need to talk to him and I would rather get this particular conversation out of the way first."

Tyler pulled himself into a sitting position, not bothering to pull the sheet up with him. "You just got here. I haven't seen you in almost a month and the first thing you do is run off to go talk to Stefan?" he asked, looking a little hurt.

Caroline smirked as she knelt on the bed and kissed him. "No, the first thing I did was you," she whispered and then pulled back. "How about this; you let me talk to Stefan and don't complain and I'll extend my stay. I'm sure the office can get by without me."

"I like the sound of that."

"Alright, it's settled then," she said as she got back to her feet. "I'll be back," she added and after slipping on her shoes, she took off in search of Stefan's room. Once she had found it, she stood outside the door and took a deep breath. "For Elena," she whispered to herself and began knocking.

Stefan opened it rather quickly and did a double take as he saw who it was on the other side. "Caroline?" he asked in disbelief.

"Stefan," she returned, giving him a light smile. "Relax," she added as his gaze flickered past his shoulders. "I'm here visiting Tyler all by myself."

"So what are you doing here?"

"I just want to talk."

For a long moment, he stared at her. When it was clear that she wasn't going to back down or take no for an answer, he sighed and stepped back to let her in. "Did _they_ send you here?" he asked, closing the door behind her.

"No _they_ did not send me here," she replied. "Neither of them know I'm here."

Stefan studied her for a moment, but he did believe her. Caroline was many things, but a liar was not one of them. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"Elena is worried about you."

He snorted at that. "It's been two weeks since she's left any messages; she can't be that worried."

"She stopped leaving them because getting your voicemail all the time was causing her stress." Caroline studied him and took a deep breath. "Did Tyler tell you what happened the night you left?"

Stefan felt his blood turn cold at the tone of Caroline's voice and he shook his head. "I asked him not to say anything to them about me and vice versa. Why? What happened?"

Her eyes softened as did her stance. "She almost lost the baby," she said in a lowered voice. "But it was not your fault, Stefan. It was a combination of everything that got to her, but she's alright now. She's just confined to bed rest."

"How is this not my fault?"

"Because you had every right to leave after finding out something as life changing as that. It was their fault for not telling you sooner; I just wanted you to know."

She could see the way his jaw ticked and he raked a hand through his hair out of frustration. "You said she's on bed rest now?"

Caroline nodded. "Until the baby is born."

He snorted and smirked out of disbelief. "Let me guess, she moved in with Damon?"

"She had to. No one else has the flexibility like he does."

Stefan simply shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment.

"I just came to tell you that she's okay and that she really wants to talk to you. I also wanted to remind you that you are still part of our lives and there are other people that are worried about you too. I was told Grayson was quite adamant that you were to remain as part of the family and Miranda wants to hear from you."

"Grayson said that?"

Caroline nodded. "And that's not all. Whether you like it or not, you are still part of that baby's family. You're still related to him or her. You going to be an uncle."

Stefan's eyes flashed with an array of emotions before she looked away from her and shook his head. "This is all partly my fault," he said quietly.

"I don't-"

"She told me that she had left me once. A week before the wedding; which I'm guessing now is the date of conception."

"If you want details-"

"Ask Elena, I know, I heard you the first time. It's just, she told me she left and that she came back because she knew she was ready and I believed her. But leaving is a sign that obviously she wasn't ready and yet I ignored it. You know, since the day I put that ring on her finger, she changed and I chose to ignore that too. She was never ready, Caroline. She wasn't ready to get married, but I was and she didn't want to disappointment me, so yes. I am as much to blame as they are."

Caroline shook her head. This was typical Stefan; even when he wasn't at fault, he still found a way to make the burden fall on his shoulders. "You loved her and she loved you. I am her best friend, but even I can't defend the fact that she cheated on you. That was entirely her; not you. Do not blame yourself for this, Stefan."

As Stefan's lips parted to say something back, the door opened and in came a blonde woman. "You would not believe the day I had." She stopped short at the sight of Caroline and smiled awkwardly.

Stefan looked back and forth between the two women and cleared his throat. "Uh, Lexi, this is Caroline, Caroline, this is Lexi."

"Nice to meet you," Caroline said, smiling at the new girl.

"You as well," she replied and looked at Stefan. "Are we still on for dinner?"

"Yes."

"Okay, I'll just meet you there," she said and waved at them both before making a quick exit.

Caroline stared at the door with wide eyes before slowly turning back to face Stefan. "She has a key to your hotel room?"

"She works for me."

"Uh huh."

Stefan sighed and decided it was time to tell someone about her. "Fine, the truth is, Lexi and I met the first day of college. My father had recently drank himself to death and I still had no clue where Damon was, so the fact that I even went to class surprised me. I was about to get up and go when this girl sat next to me and just started talking about whatever came to mind. The next thing I knew, class was over and she was giving me her number. We became instant friends and for the rest of college, that seemed like enough."

"You guys never dated?"

"Not technically, no," he replied. "The last semester I think is when we both realized we had feelings for one another, but we didn't want to ruin our friendship. She was dating this guy and she really liked him and I was too afraid to say anything at the time. I always told myself that when she was single again, I was going to tell her how I felt and that I wanted to be with her. But then I met Elena." He shrugged and raked a hand through his hair before he continued. "I liked her and I was tired of waiting so I decided to go for it. After Elena had left back to Virginia, Lexi told me that her boyfriend and broken up with her and that she had received a job offer for an architectural firm in California. She said she didn't have any reason to stay so she was going to take it."

Caroline reached over and smacked his shoulder. "She was telling you to give her a reason."

"I didn't realize that until after, but by then, Elena and I had become pretty serious," he said, rubbing his shoulder.

"So she just happened to reappear now?"

"She came back the day I left Elena. I told her my wife and I are separated, but I'm not waiting this time. We still like each other and-"

"Stefan, you don't have to explain yourself at all. If you like her, then be with her. If she makes you happy, then don't worry about it. Just don't let that girl be your rebound."

He shook his head. "I don't think that's possible."

Caroline walked up to him and put her arms around him. "Please, just talk to Elena and hear her out. We all miss you, Stefan, so don't be a stranger either," she said and pulled away.

"Do you think I should tell Elena about her?"

"It's up to you," Caroline said as she opened the door to let herself out. She went back down the hall to Tyler's room. She let herself in and smirked at him still lying in bed. "Now, where were we," she asked coyly as she began removing her clothes on the way to the bed.


	24. Chapter 24

**a/n: the wait is over! :)**

TWENTY-FOUR

Elena turned on the television in the bedroom that Damon had bought for her since the bed was far more comfortable than the couch. It had become her daily routine; wake up, take a shower, brush her teeth, and then come lay back down to watch whatever caught her attention that day. If Damon were home, he would watch TV with her or they would play games and talk. Today, he had been gone by the time she woke and had left a note on his pillow for her stating that he would be back before dinner time. She sighed as she flipped through a dozen or so channels and decided it was best to shut it off. The moment she did, she heard a knock at the door.

"Coming!" she called out as she slowly got to her feet. If it were anyone of her usual guests, they knew she was slow getting to the door, but she always let them know she heard their knock. Unless it was Caroline; she usually let herself in. When she got to the door, the discovered the last person she would have guessed to be on the other side of the threshold. "Stefan?"

He inclined his head, unsure of what to say. He saw the way her chest rose and fell with deep breaths and he knew her nerves were getting the best of her. "May I come in?"

She hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Sure," she replied and stepped back to let him in.

Stefan stopped in the middle of the living room and turned to see her. He watched as she stared back at him, putting a hand over her stomach where she beginning to show. His eyes went back up to meet hers and he gestured towards the couch. Elena sat as he took a seat in the chair farthest away from her. "I'm here because there are things we need to say to each other."

"Stefan-"

He cut her off by holding up his hand. "I don't want to hear 'I'm sorry' or 'it just happened,' Elena, I just want you to tell me everything. I'm not going to yell and I don't want to argue because that's not going to help anyone. I just want the truth and we are going to talk about everything like adults."

Elena nodded, taking all of that in. She had been more than prepared for Stefan to come back and yell at her; not for him to be calm. "Okay," she replied and took a deep breath. "A week before the wedding, I left. I didn't know what I was doing or where I was going to end up, so I just drove. I ended up on the other side of town and went to a bar. I was just going to drink and try to clear my head; think about what I really wanted. Then this guy came up to me and said he was going to pretend we were together so that the group of frat guys at the bar would leave me alone.

"We ended up talking the whole night and when it came time to close, the bartender had called us a cab. His place was closer so we went there first. He simply said goodnight and paid the driver enough for both of us and got out of the cab. It was me who told the driver to stop after a minute. I told him to keep the cash and I was the one that ran into the building after the man from the bar."

Elena saw Stefan look away as she explained and she let her own gaze drop to the floor. "He woke just as I was leaving the next morning and asked me for my number or at least my last name, but I wouldn't give it to him, nor would I let him give me his. I told him that if it were meant to be, we would run into each other again. That's when I went back to the bar, picked up my keys, and came home."

"But why?" Stefan asked, his voice laced with pain. "Why come back?"

"Because I was scared and you were my safety net," she said, admitting it aloud for the first time to both herself and to Stefan. She took a deep breath and decided to tell him the things that she was even still afraid to think, but she knew in order for them to truly move on, she had to say them. "I was scared because for those few hours that I knew him, I felt more connected to him than I ever have to anyone else. I had heard of people finding their soulmates and I always thought that was you and then I met him..." She shook her head. "I knew that if I stayed, my entire life would change and it scared me, so I came home."

Stefan nodded slowly before looking her in the eye. "Did you even want to be married?"

Elena thought about it as she stared back at him and then shook her head. "No. From the moment you asked me to marry you I felt as if the walls were closing in and I was suffocating."

"Then why go through with it? I would rather you have left me because you were unhappy then to have...this happen."

She nodded and blinked back tears. "I know. It's just... You wanted it so badly and you truly loved me and at the time, I loved you too. After that night, I felt that I owed it to you because of what I had done." She shrugged and shook her head. "I know that sounds awful, but at the time..."

Stefan took a deep breath. "You can't blame yourself for going through with the marriage even though you felt that way," he began. "I knew something was bothering you and I ignored it. I knew that you weren't as happy about it as you should have been and yet I did nothing. We're both to blame for that."

She shook her head. "No, this was my mistake. Don't you dare try to take some of the blame. None of this was your fault."

"In a way, some of it was. I knew you weren't happy and I even saw the way you and Damon were around each other. If I had ever seen you look at me the way you looked at him, I would never have questioned anything. I saw the way you two were when you first met and all the awkwardness that surrounded you both, but then it changed."

Elena saw the look in his eyes that said he wanted an explanation. "It was very awkward at first. We both knew the baby was his; that I never doubted, but it didn't change the fact that I didn't know _him_. After a little while, we agreed that whatever was going on between us needed to be explored and that we needed to get to know each other better. One thing led to another and we ended up falling in love."

"Did you sleep with him while we were married?"

"Yes," she answered, knowing the fact that it had only been once wouldn't have changed anything.

He gave a curt nod and got up to start pacing. "Were you ever going to tell me about any of this or were you just going to lead us both on and drag it out as long as possible?"

"The day you found the paternity results was the day I had made my decision to tell you everything. Damon and I had made the decision that we wanted to be together and the only reason I dragged it out so long was that I could just picture the look on your face and it killed me." She looked down and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I didn't know that the letter would be there or that you would be coming home early." In a softer voice, she added, "I didn't think I would ever see you again."

Elena jumped as she felt the couch cushion next to her sink in as well as Stefan's hands covering hers. She looked at him with wide eyes as he offered a small smile. "I know it took me longer than either of us would have liked to come around, but I knew about your condition and I wanted to wait until I could see you again and not lose my temper." He shrugged and gave her hand a light squeeze. "I thought about it and thought about it some more only to realize that I want you in my life, Elena. Yes, our marriage is over and so is any romantic relationship, but you're not the type of person I want to lose. You messed up, I know, but Caroline said something that stuck; that baby is still related to me. I'm going to be an uncle and as long as you'll let me, I would like to be around to be the best damn uncle he or she ever had."

Elena nodded and flung her arms around his neck, moving faster than she had in weeks. "Of course I would like you to be in the baby's life. I'm so sorry," she said, repeating the last phrase in whispers as tears of both happiness and sadness ran down her face.

"I forgive you, Elena, I do, but I still need some time before I'm completely ready to go back to being good friends."

"Take all the time that you need," she replied and pulled away. "Wait, when did Caroline say that to you?"

"About two weeks ago she came to New York for Tyler and spoke to me as well."

"I didn't tell her to do that," she said as Stefan stood up again.

"I know," he replied and raked a hand through his hair. "There's something that I have to tell you." When she nodded, Stefan stopped pacing and stared at her. "I met someone too. Her name is Lexi Branson. I met her when I was in college and now she's working with Tyler and I. We never dated, but we wanted too; life just got in the way. When we finally had the opportunity to be together, I had met you and she had been offered a job far away so we just went on with our lives," he said and shrugged. "But now our paths have crossed again and...well, we're going to see where it leads."

"Why fight fate any longer, right?" Elena asked, feeling only a twinge of jealousy at his admission. "Are you happy with her?"

"Very much so."

Elena smiled. "Then I'm happy for you."

"So that brings me to the other main reason why I came here today," he said, pulling an envelope from his jacket. He handed it to Elena and watched as she opened it. "You can take your time reading it over, but I think a fifty-fifty split is best. There's no need for things to get messy." Feel free to have a lawyer look them over before you sign anything."

Elena's eyes skimmed over the divorce papers and for the first time, everything felt so real. She shook her head and looked back up at Stefan. "I'll just sign them now."

"Elena-"

"The only thing that was really mine was the trust my dad gave me. Other than that, everything was yours."

"What about the house?"

"You bought it for us and while I loved it there, I have no intention of moving back."

"I feel the same way. So I'll sell it and split it with you."

"Stefan-"

"If you don't want to keep the money for yourself, then put it in a trust for the baby. You're getting half, Elena, that's non-negotiable."

With a half smile, Elena nodded. "Alright. Would you please get me a pen?"

Stefan wandered over to the kitchen and grabbed one from by the fridge where the other stationary was kept. He handed it to Elena and watched her sign all the places he had marked out for her. When she was done, she handed the documents back to him and put the pen on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you when you were in the hospital. I didn't know about it until much later."

Elena shook her head. "It wasn't your fault, Stefan," she assured him and got to her feet. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What about you and Damon? Do you think you could ever move forward with him too?"

Stefan's eyes hardened at her words. "Honestly, I don't know and right now, I'm not going to think about it. He abandoned me when I was little, refused to let me find him, and..." He shrugged again. "Only time will tell."

Elena nodded and thought it was best not to press the issue. Instead, she knew it was time for him to go and moved to open the door for him. "I'll keep you updated on the baby."

"I would like to be there for the birth if that's okay."

She nodded. "I would like that too."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Stefan put his arms around her and kissed her cheek. "Just take care of yourself and the baby okay?"

"You take care of yourself too," she whispered back and before they could say anything else, Stefan withdrew his hold and left. Slowly, Elena closed the door and turned to rest her back against it, feeling as though some weight had been lifted off her shoulders.


	25. Chapter 25

**a/n: Alright, this was written specifically because you guys wanted more Delena time and I admit, this story was really lacking it lately :) I hope this was worth the wait :)**

TWENTY-FIVE

Damon entered the condo to find Elena curled up on the couch watching a movie. He moved to drop a kiss onto her forehead before setting the mail on the coffee table. "I have some good news."

"Oh?"

"Today was the last day of the photo shoot. I'm officially not taking on anymore projects until I absolutely need to. I'm all yours."

She smirked. "I thought you said it was good news."

Damon pretended to be wounded by her words and walked to the kitchen to pour himself a drink. "Sorry sweetheart, you're stuck with me now."

Elena laughed softly before grabbing the pile of mail to sort through. There was a thick envelope that caught her attention and she set the rest of the pile down as she studied the return address. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized it was from a lawyer's office. Slowly, she undid the seal and pulled out the documents inside. Even though she knew this was coming and that it was what she wanted, seeing that the divorce was official was still sad in a way.

"Elena?" Damon asked, his voice full of worry as he returned to the living room.

She looked up at him held up the documents. "The divorce went through," she said, her voice a little strained. "I'm not married anymore."

Damon sat by her side and looped an arm around her shoulder to comfort her.

"I mean, I know this was how it was going to end, I guess it just never hit me until just now. That was fast too, only a month to be complete."

He nodded and kissed her forehead again. "Now we can stop being so guilty."

She nodded and pulled back to look at him. "It was a short marriage and it ended just as fast. This just means that we can officially move on with our lives and let that be an unpleasant bump in our past."

He smiled. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

She grinned and let her gaze travel to his lips. Subconsciously, she licked her own and felt herself leaning in. Damon met her halfway and the moment their lips touched, the spark between them ignited and set them on fire. Elena broke the kiss abruptly and groaned as she smiled apologetically at him.

"I hate this bed rest thing."

"Me too," Damon replied. "Me too."

She reached out and cupped his face. "Trust me, the moment I'm able to have sex again, you and I are going to make up for lost time."

Damon shuddered and his pupils dilated a fraction at her words. "I'm holding you to that promise."

She nodded and let go of him, deciding it was for the best if they limited their contact at the moment. "You know, I have two months left of being pregnant and I haven't done a single bit of shopping? I don't have clothes, furniture, decor; nothing." Even as she spoke, she realized how little planning she had actually done. "Oh God."

"Calm down. Two months is plenty of time to get things organized," he said, his thoughts drifting to the spare bedroom. He had started the project a month ago and with Caroline's help, it was halfway done, but he didn't want to tell Elena about it until it was either very close to being finished or completely done.

"Yeah, it is if you're allowed to go to the store and pick things out. I can't do that."

"We could ask."

Elena shook her head. "No, Doctor Corbin would never agree to that and if Grayson heard that I asked, we would never hear the end of it."

Damon nodded and silence settled over them for a few moments. "Can I make another suggestion?"

"Sure."

"What if Caroline and I were to go shopping? Or just Caroline. I know you trust her more than anyone else and she gets you like no one else ever can. I'm sure she wouldn't mind doing this for you."

Elena mulled it over and nodded. "That would be the best thing I guess, but it won't be the same. I want to be able to pick the garments out myself."

Damon smirked and grabbed her hands in his. "Well, by the time you'll be ready to shop, the kid will have outgrown everything Caroline picks out anyway."

Elena smiled at that and shrugged. "I don't see how it could work any other way."

Damon got to his feet. "You know what, hold that thought," he said and left the room for a moment. When he returned, he had his laptop with him. "How about this; you and I find some things online so that you have some ideas for Caroline and you can find things that you would pick out too. Would that make you feel better?"

"Actually, yes. I could start looking at ideas for the nursery too. I mean, I have been, but this time I'll be more serious about it."

Damon nodded, wanting to see what she would pick out to see if he had gotten anything close to that. For the next few hours, they sat on the couch searching for baby clothes and nursery ideas, stopping only when the battery died. Neither of them wanted to get up to get the charger so Damon shut it down and put it on the coffee table. Elena curled up next to him so that they could both rest their hands on her stomach and feel the baby move about.

"I have a doctor appointment tomorrow," Elena said, having almost forgotten about it herself.

"Are we going to learn the sex this time?"

She laughed. "I thought we already had this discussion."

"I know, but I really want to pick out names. They say that's the hardest part you know."

She nodded slightly. "I know, but I've been thinking about it a lot, haven't you?"

"Of course."

"So?" she started. "What are some of the names you came up with?"

"Oh no. You won't let me know what we're having, I'm not telling you what I have in mind."

"How about this; we keep the sex a secret and you get to pick the name. As long as it's not something outrageous," she said, adding the last bit just in case.

"Deal," Damon said without hesitation.

Elena smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too," he said and from there they lapsed into silence, enjoying each other's company as they continued to feel the baby move about.

* * *

Elena sat in the wheelchair as Damon pushed her through the hospital on the way to their doctor appointment. "I'm getting really tired of this hosptial," she said.

"Tell me about it."

"Once this kid is born, we are staying far away from it for a bit," she added, earning a light chuckle from Damon. "Hey, isn't Grayson working today?"

"I think so."

"We should go see him after."

Elena turned her head to look at him. "Why?"

He shrugged. "Parents like that sort of thing, don't they?"

Elena's heart broke a little from the sincerity in his voice and in his eyes. She nodded and had to look away before her over active emotions got the best of her. "Yeah," she said. "They like that."

Neither of them spoke again until they met Doctor Corbin in the ultrasound room where all their appointments were held. "How are you today?"

"More than ready to have the baby already."

"Only two more months to go. I'm sure you can wait that long."

Elena smiled as Damon helped her up onto the exam table. "I hope so. I'm already going out of my mind."

Damon cleared his throat and looked at Doctor Corbin. "Speaking of, I have a question."

"Damon-" Elena started at the same time the doctor replied, "Sure."

"Depending on how well you think she is, would Elena be able to go shopping if she were to stay in the wheelchair at all times?"

Doctor Corbin mulled it over as Elena smacked Damon; half playfully, half serious. His answer was not one she expected. "I don't see the harm."

"Really?"

He nodded. "One store a day, twice a week, but only if you feel up to it. If you have any doubts that day, stay home. You must stay in the wheelchair at all times and no other stops like for lunch or anything."

"Thank you," Elena breathed, grinning widely at him.

"You're welcome," he said and patted the headrest, indicating that it was time to start her exam.

* * *

When they were done, they said goodbye and asked where Grayson would be. Doctor Corbin pointed them in the right direction and off they went. They found him coming out of the fourth floor doctor's lounge and the moment he saw them, he lit up. "What brings you here?" he asked. "Everything okay with the baby?"

Elena nodded as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Everything's fine, Dad. Just a routine check-up. Damon was actually the one to suggest coming to find you afterwards."

"Oh really?" he said, smiling at Damon. "Well thank you, I really appreciate it." Damon nodded and Grayson looked at Elena again. "I was just about to grab some lunch. Would you like to join me?"

"Um..." Elena started and he patted her shoulder.

"I'm a doctor too you know. Mostly everyone here has some medical training. But if you don't want to..."

She shook her head with a grin. "I think we can manage that. Damon?"

"I'd love to."

"Follow me," he said and led them to the cafeteria.

After they got their food, they found a table and began to talk. "So guess what Doctor Corbin just said?"

"What?"

"He said I could shop twice a week for a little bit. That way I can get the things I need for the baby without having to just shop off the internet."

"That's good. It means you're practically healed, but you still have to take it easy," he said sternly.

"I know."

"You know your mother would love to talk to you too."

Elena nodded and took a sip of water. "I have called her, but she never calls me back. It's not like I can go over and see her," she said, not really wanting to talk about it. "I know she doesn't like that I'm divorced, but you think that she would be happy that _I__'__m _happy."

Grayson nodded and looked at Damon. "You know what would cheer her up?"

"What would that be?" Damon asked.

"Telling us the sex of the baby."

Damon laughed. "Good luck with that. She won't even let me know and I helped create the kid."

A moment of awkward silence fell over them and Elena couldn't hold back her smile as Damon's cheeks began to turn a light shade of red. Grayson broke the silence by laughing and slapping Damon on the back. "Can't say I didn't try."

Damon took a drink of water and then changed the subject entirely. "That barbeque that we had at your house not too long ago, wasn't that for some sort of award?"

Grayson nodded, his face lighting up. "I'm glad you mentioned that. Your mother and I are leaving in a few weeks for LA. From what I heard, I'm pretty much a sure thing to win it."

"Congrats," Elena said, beaming at him.

"Hey now, don't jinx it on me."

"I'm sure the two of you will have fun either way," she said.

"What are these conferences like?" Damon asked and Elena groaned, knowing the stories her father was about to launch into. But as he told Damon what it was like, Elena felt that warm, fuzzy feeling over the fact that they seemed to be bonding. She was glad that despite everything being so messed up, her family and friends were taking this pretty well and accepting Damon into their lives as she had. That was one of the only reasons she was willing to listen to the same stories she had heard since she was little with a smile on her face and her hand in Damon's.


	26. Chapter 26

**a/n: I'm sure many of you will be angry with me over this one, but that's the trick with fighting fate, you don't always win (haha!)**

**I'm sure many of you will realize where I'll be ending the story once you read this chapter and from the things you say in your reviews, I know you won't be happy. So as a compromise, I've decided to extend the story a bit and give a glimpse into their lives after the baby is born. I'll be jumping through time quite a bit though, but at least you'll get to see the happy side of Delena :) Let me know what you think :)**

**I've also started posting another story, this time for Stargate: Atlantis, so if you're interested, go check it out! It's called Coming Home :)**

TWENTY-SIX

Elena was startled out of a deep sleep by the sound of a loud crash coming from the second bedroom. She turned to see if Damon had been woken by it as well, only to find that he was not there. Panic washed over her for a brief moment before she heard Damon's voice coming from the same spot the crash had occurred. Slowly, Elena got to her feet and made her way down the short hallway to the other bedroom. As she opened the door, her jaw dropped and her eye went wide as she took in the scene before her.

Damon looked up from cleaning the paint that had spilled and leaving it there, he stood up and smiled at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

She shook her head and stepped into the room, her eyes going over every detail. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Almost two months now," he replied. "I was hoping to show you within the next few days or so. Not quite like this," he added, returning to clean up the paint. Luckily he had remembered to put down a tarp this time meaning the flooring underneath wouldn't be harmed by the paint.

"Why didn't you tell me you were doing this?"

"I wanted to surprise you," he answered and went to stand beside her once the mess was taken care of. "And judging from the look on your face, I think I did fairly well."

"This is amazing," she breathed, her eyes still unable to focus on any one thing in particular. As of right now, the room was bare except for painting supplies. All the furniture, if there had been any to begin with, was gone. Each wall was painted differently representing one of the four elements. There were plenty of animals incorporated that went along with each element, creating a theme. "This is ten times better than anything I could have picked out on my own."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear," he said and grinned when she turned to look at him.

"How is it that I haven't noticed any of this?"

He shrugged. "You're a heavy sleeper. Caroline is letting me store all the furniture at her place. I was going to bring that in within the next few days."

"How were you going to hide _that_?"

"Make you stay in the room with the door locked, I guess," he said and laughed lightly.

"Walk me through it; describe the set up for me," she pleaded and Damon nodded.

"I bought a crib made of old drift wood. It has little seashells worked into the details and it's going to go along the wall with the water scenes. The crib has some matching sconces that I had made and there's also a little mobile of water creatures that plays different sounds." He turned her so that she was looking at the wall to their left. "The element of air will have the changing table and a small dresser to put all of his or her clothes into. It has different birds and clouds painted on it, but not too many."

Elena felt tears of happiness spring to her eyes as she thought about all the trouble he must have gone to in order to pull this off.

He turned them again so that they were looking at the wall opposite the water element, the one that featured the door and the closet. "I know this might seem a little strange, but if you don't like it, I can always fix it," he said and went on to explain. "I couldn't exactly find any animal that went along with the element of fire other than-"

"Dragons," Elena interrupted and giggled. There was one dragon painted on each side of the wall, a boy and a girl. They weren't realistic and frightening, but they weren't exactly cartoon-like either. It was all blended into a background of a muted fiery color scheme and yet, it still made sense with the rest of the room. Since there wasn't much actual wall space, the animals were small and seemed to fit right in.

Damon shrugged. "I figured they could be guardians of the room." He shook his head at that and then buried his face into the crook of her neck. "Like I said, I can always change it if you don't like it."

She shook her head. "I like it. They can stay."

Damon pressed a kiss onto her shoulder before turning them once more to look at the wall opposite of the air element. "And of course, the element of earth. There's a chair that's coming in that was made of a tree stump that was preserved. I figured it would be great for the kid when it gets old enough to sit. There's also a rocking chair, a bookcase, and an organizational piece where the kid can put it's toys after it's done playing with them. All of which are made out of various woods."

Elena shook her head in disbelief and turned to face him. She cupped his face in her hands and smiled widely up at him. "This is perfect, Damon. I love it. Thank you."

He let out a sigh of relief. "I wasn't sure. I felt that I was going a little overboard."

She shook her head again. "No one else will ever have something like this and that is the greatest part of all."

Damon grinned and leaned in to kiss her. As their lips met, the sound of someone knocking on the door to the condo filled the air. Damon pulled his head up and they both frowned at each other. "Who would be coming over at this hour?"

"I don't know," she answered.

"Stay here," he demanded and started for the door.

Elena liked the idea of being told to stay put as much as she liked the idea of Damon going to answer the door. Then again, the complex had a doorman and no one would be getting through unless they had been allowed through first. Knowing that, Elena couldn't help but feel a little bit of panic course through her again.

"I need to speak with Elena," came Jeremy's voice. There was something about his tone that made Elena's heart sink as she made her way to the living room. The tears in his eyes and the worry on his face told her whatever he was about to say was far from good.

"Jer? What is it?" In all their years of living together, she had never seen him like this. He scared her even more when he practically ran towards her and threw his arms about her. He held her tightly, but not as tightly as he wanted to because of the baby. "You're scaring me," she whispered.

"You should sit," he said as he pulled away and wiped at his eyes.

Elena slowly made her way to the couch and Jeremy sat next to her. He gripped her hand tightly and took a deep breath as he tried to get control of his voice. "There was an accident."

Elena's blood turned cold as her skin began to prickle with goosebumps. "Okay..."

"It was raining and the car slipped off the road. They rolled several times and help managed to get to them quickly, but they..." Jeremy's voice started to crack as more tears flowed freely down his face. Elena pulled him into a hug and ran her hand soothingly down her back. "They didn't make it."

"Who?" Elena asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She wanted to know just as much as she didn't want to.

"Mom and Dad."

With those three words, Elena's world came crashing down. Her body went numb and she felt lightheaded. Her heart pounded against her chest and she felt a sharp pain starting in her belly. "What?"

"I'm sorry Elena," Jeremy sobbed onto her shoulder. "I know I shouldn't be telling you this, but you needed to know."

"Elena?" came Damon's voice in a worried tone. Her skin had gone pale and he knew she was in shock. This was bad news and the last time she had received bad news it had almost caused her to lose the baby. Not wanting to take any chances, Damon moved for the phone and called for an ambulance.

"H-how? They were in California and-"

Jeremy pulled his head up to look at her and nodded. "The police called John and he came over to tell me. He said he was on his way there to identify the bodies." His voice broke once more and he shook his head. "They're gone, Elena. They're really gone."

Elena felt tears sliding down her cheeks and dug her fingers into the arm of the couch as another wave of pain coursed through her. "Damon?" she called out.

He rushed to her side and grabbed her hand. "I already called the hospital and Doctor Corbin. They said the ambulance will be here soon."

She nodded and Jeremy got to his feet in a panic. "Oh God, Elena. I didn't... I'm so sorry."

Damon grabbed him by the shoulders and forced the younger boy to look at him. "You did the right thing, Jeremy. It was bad news and you had to tell her, but right now I need you to help me keep her calm. If you can't do that then I need you to stop speaking. I am very sorry about your loss, but we are not losing anyone else today, do you understand?"

Jeremy hesitated before he nodded slowly.

"Good, now all we need to do is keep her alert and make sure that she's alright until the ambulance gets here."

"I don't think she can wait," Jeremy said quietly as he looked at his sister.

"She won't have to wait long. The operator said five minutes at the most. That there was one on patrol in this area." Damon hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a hand towel. After running it under cold water, he handed it to Jeremy. He sat by her side and used the cloth to wipe at his sister's face.

Elena grabbed Damon's hand as he walked past her to the door. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"Just opening the door," he assured her. He knelt in front of her and returned the solid grip she had on his hand.

"I'm so sorry," Jeremy whispered over and over again.

"Jeremy," she breathed.

Damon frowned as he felt her grip slacken and panic coursed through him. "Elena? Stay with me. Wake up, Elena," he demanded, but it was too late, she had already slipped out of consciousness.

"What just happened?" Jeremy asked as he got to his feet.

Before Damon could answer, paramedics entered the condo. "She just lost consciousness," he informed them. He and Jeremy stepped aside as they loaded her onto the stretcher and then followed them outside. Jeremy rode in the front while Damon sat in the back with Elena, filling in the paramedics on Elena's background as they drove to the hospital at record speeds.

Doctor Corbin met them at the emergency bay. "This is as far as you can come Damon."

"What's going to happen?" he asked.

"I'll be putting her under and performing an emergency Caesarian. I will have someone keep you updated," he said before rushing off after the paramedics.

Damon and Jeremy remained outside, watching until Elena was out of sight. "Now what?" Jeremy asked.

"Now we wait," Damon answered, trying to keep his calm facade even though he was going insane with fear and worry on the inside.


	27. Chapter 27

**a/n: Don't worry, this isn't the ending just yet :)**

TWENTY-SEVEN

Damon fought the urge to fall asleep as he sat by Elena's bed. His fingers with laced with hers as he waited for her to wake up. It had already been twelve hours since she had been admitted, but due to complications during delivery, Doctor Corbin had informed him that she would be out for a bit longer than usual. Since then, he had been splitting his time between the nursery and Elena's bedside. The baby had been born completely healthy; a month early and under dire distress, but healthy nonetheless. Damon couldn't have been happier to hear the good news, but he was waiting until Elena was with him to hold his child for the first time. For now, he was content with peering through the glass window of the nursery.

As his eyes closed for a moment, there was a light knock at the door that startled him into being alert again. Confusion washed over him as Stefan walked into the room holding two cups of coffee. He extended one to Damon who took it with a half nod. "Thanks."

"I figured you would be needing all the caffeine you could get right now." Damon smiled before taking a deep drink from the cup. "Isobel called me and told me what happened. I hopped on the next flight out. I hope it's okay that I'm here."

"Of course it's okay that you're here. Elena's going to need all the support she can get."

Stefan smiled slightly before looking at Elena. "Actually, I came because I thought _you _might need some support."

Damon stared at him as silence washed over them. They hadn't spoken since Stefan had found out about the baby's parentage. From what Elena had told him of their conversation, he hadn't expected on hearing from his younger brother for a very long time, if ever. "Stefan-"

"She told me how you guys met. She told me that you didn't know she was married and that she didn't give you a way to contact her." He shrugged as he took a sip of his coffee. "She told me everything. Yes, I was mad at you both, but after hearing this news, I don't care anymore. You're my brother and you could be gone at any moment. I don't want something like that to happen with us on bad terms. Like I told Elena, I haven't completely forgiven either of you yet, but I'm moving on just the same."

"I'm sorry, Stefan. I really am."

Stefan nodded and moved to Elena's other side. "Do you love her? Do you make each other happy?"

"Yes."

"Then that's all I care about," he said as he lightly stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "How long has she been out like this?"

"Twelve hours or so."

"And the baby?"

"Completely healthy and in the nursery right now."

Stefan nodded and finally looked at his older brother. "When was the last time you ate?"

"I don't know."

"Go get something from the cafeteria. I'll stay with her."

Damon hesitated, but knew it was a good idea. "Call me immediately if she wakes up."

"I will," Stefan assured him and waited until he was gone to move to Elena's other side to sit in the chair Damon had been in earlier. He took her hand in his and swiped his thumb across the back of her hand absently as he stared down at her. She looked peaceful, but he knew that it was only a facade, that once she woke up, she would be a wreck. He could completely understand, having lost both parents himself, but to lose them both at the same time... That was just a cruel twist of fate. He could feel his own sadness rising because Grayson and Miranda had felt more like his parents than his own father. Elena's entire family had felt like his own since he had had none prior to that.

"I'm sorry about your loss, Elena," he said in a quiet voice. He had been prepared to say more, but the words refused to come out. So instead, he just sat there, holding her hand, hoping that she would wake up soon.

After sitting there for quite some time, he heard the beeping of the machines increase their frequency a little. He pulled out his phone and dialed Damon's number. "I think she's waking up," he said.

"I'm on my way," Damon replied and hung up.

Just as Stefan put his phone away, Elena's eyes fluttered open and met his automatically. She took a deep breath as she gained full awareness of her surroundings and then tried to sit up. Stefan stopped her and gave her hand a squeeze. "Please, don't try to sit up."

He saw both fear and panic wash over her as she looked around the room. Her hand squeezed his tightly as her breathing became shallow and quick. He watched as the tears welled up in her eyes, and yet, she remained silent. It wasn't until Damon came into the room that she let the tears fall from her eyes.

Stefan stepped back so that Damon could stand by her side. He saw immediately that his brother's presence had calmed Elena's nerves and it brought a slight smile to his face. "I'll be in the waiting room," he said and slipped out, leaving the two of them alone.

"What happened? Where's the baby?" Elena asked, her voice trembling.

Damon pushed the button on her bed that would call for a nurse. "You lost consciousness right before the ambulance got there. They pulled you in for an emergency C-section. There were minor complications which is why you've been out for so long, but the baby is just fine," he said as he stroked her face, wiping her tears away in the process.

"Complications?"

"Doctor Corbin said something about how you lost a lot of blood from a few tears. They were able to repair it so that there won't be any permanent damage. You're going to be fine Elena."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Grayson and Miranda; that wasn't a dream, was it?"

Damon leaned down to kiss her forehead. "No."

By that time the night nurse and Doctor Corbin had arrived and Damon moved out of the way so that they could do a full check-up on Elena. He smiled softly when he was done and patted her arm. "You're going to have to take it easy for a little bit longer, but you should make a full recovery very soon."

"Thank you," she said quietly. "What about the baby? Can I see..." her voice faded as she realized she didn't even know the sex of the baby yet.

"Give us a few minutes and we'll be able to bring the baby to you, okay?"

"Thank you, Doctor," Damon said and moved back to Elena's side as he and the nurse left.

"Does he know?"

"He knows, he just didn't want to upset you." Damon sat beside her and took her hand in both of his.

"How is Jeremy?"

"He's going out of his mind with guilt."

Elena sighed. "It's not his fault. If our roles had been reversed, I would have done the same thing. I would have been more angry if they had waited to tell me." She took a deep breath and stared at him. "It still feels like a dream."

Damon smiled sadly at her. "I know," he answered and moved to help her into a sitting position before they fell into silence as they waited for the baby to be brought down.

The nurse came back about ten minutes later with an acrylic crib with all the necessities on the cart underneath. She smiled at them as she pushed the cart to the other side of Damon's chair. "Since there wasn't a name given, we started calling her Baby Girl Gilbert," the nurse said as she gently put the baby in Elena's arms. "When you decide, just let one of us know and we'll make it official. Just press the button to call one of us in when you're done," she said and left the room for the new parents to get acquainted with their baby.

"It's a girl," Elena whispered, her voice cracking as tears gathered in her eyes.

Damon was amazed by the little bundle in Elena's arms. Fatherhood had always been a strange concept. Truthfully, he had always wondered when he would feel more connected to the baby, but at that very moment, he could truly feel the connection. Slowly, he reached out and felt her tiny hand wrap around his finger and was surprised by the strength his daughter displayed. "She's perfect."

Elena nodded and looked up at him. "So what will her name be?"

"I'm not sure-"

"We had a deal, Damon. I kept the sex a surprise, you got to name the kid."

"I just thought that since..." he let his voice trail off for a moment. "If you wanted to honor your mother..."

She shook her head as she looked down at the baby held safely in her arms. "I know you already had a name picked out. What was it?"

Damon studied her profile for a moment to make sure that this was what she wanted. "Katherine."

Elena smiled as the baby opened her eyes. "Katherine," she mumbled, letting it roll off her tongue. She nodded and turned to look at Damon again. "Katherine Salvatore."

"Salvatore?" Damon asked in surprise.

"Well, my last name is still technically Salvatore and I don't plan on changing it any time soon and your name is Salvatore too," she explained.

Damon leaned in and captured her lips with his. After a brief kiss, he pulled away with a smile. "Katherine Salvatore it is," he said and let the joy of the moment wash over him. Finally, he had the girl of his dreams and their child. Everyone was alive and well and at this moment, nothing could ruin that for him.


	28. Chapter 28

**a/n: So sorry this took forever to get out. Work, a cold, and school all kind of hit hard at once :(**

**Alright, so a lot of you are wondering why the name Katherine. For one, it wouldn't be right if she wasn't included. Since she's just a child and won't have a big role in this story, she isn't like the Kat we've all come to love and hate with equal measure. As for why Damon chose it, I had no particular reason other than Kat had to make her presence somewhere :)**

**One more chapter left and since this week is an easy one, I should have it up soon :)**

TWENTY-EIGHT

Elena sighed as she sat on the couch. For the first time that day she had a small window of free time. She planned on using that free time to just sit there and rest for when the guests began to arrive. However, her dream of sitting was cut short as she heard her daughter's cries from the baby monitor. As she started to get to her feet, Damon moved out of the study and motioned for her to stay. "I'll take care of Katherine, you sit tight," he said and dashed up the stairs to see what the fuss was about.

Elena smiled and looked around the living room. It was decorated for the Katherine's first birthday party; the first party that she was hosting in her and Damon's new house. Shortly after Elena had been able to move around on her own, Damon had gotten a job teaching at the local college, enabling him to set up roots in Mystic Falls. It felt good to have a home with Damon that didn't involve an elevator in a high rise. Granted, she loved being spoiled by the lack of yard work, but she loved the idea of having the outdoor space where she and Damon could play with Katherine. A space where they didn't have to worry about other people and cars. Not to mention the privacy.

She turned her head as Damon came downstairs, shrugging at her. "She was still asleep when I got there."

Elena smirked. "Well, she is all about the attention."

"My personality, your looks; that's not going to go well for us during the teenage years," he said and watched her grimace.

"Oh joy," she replied with heavy sarcasm and pushed herself up. "So did you invite any of your colleges?"

"A few," he replied as he followed her into the kitchen.

Elena laughed as she felt Damon wrap his arms around her waist from behind, his front pressed tightly up against her front. His lips moved down to the curve of her neck as he peppered her skin with kisses. "Damon, guests will be here soon."

"How soon?" he asked in a low voice.

Her head tipped back as he found her most sensitive spot. She shuddered with pleasure and let her eyes close slightly. "Half an hour," she answered in a breathless tone as his hands slid up to cup her breasts.

"Plenty of time," he replied and turned her around his arms so that he could capture her lips with his.

His hands gripped her hips to pull her even closer as hers stole up to cup his face. Their kiss was as heated as it always was. Elena had made good on her promise; when she had been ready, she had made up for all the times she had to say no. Since then, they had discovered that they couldn't keep their hands off of each other. Each chance they got, their passion ignited and they had yet to be bored with each other. It was a great feeling to know that after almost two years of being together, every day was like it was in the beginning.

Damon moved until he had her pinned between himself and the island, the edge of the counter hitting her lower back. She deepened the kiss and moved her hands down to his shoulders so that she could get a good grip on him as he hoisted her up. Once she was sitting on the counter, she wrapped her legs around his waist and let her hands wander back into his hair. She let her head tip back again as he moved his lips down her neck, suckling her at skin. He pulled away for just enough time to remove his shirt then began to unbutton his pants.

Elena pulled him back just as he undid the button. She moved as close to the edge as she could and waited until he had removed her shirt before kissing him again. His hands went to her back to undo the clasp to her bra as hers ran down his chest to finish removing his pants. She shoved them off of his hips as best she could before she could feel his hands tugging at the waistband of her sweats. She leaned back and helped him the best she could and before she knew it, all of their clothes were removed and that urge to have him inside of her hit hard.

Damon recognized that look in her eyes, knowing it was the same look in his, and not wanting to wait any longer, he found her entrance and slid inside. They both groaned with pleasure as he filled her completely. Elena moved her hips in rhythm with his as she made sure that their gazes remained locked. Whenever they continued to stare at each other throughout their love making sessions, their climaxes were much more intense and satisfying. They also tended to make a game out of it, daring the other to look away first.

Elena's head tipped back slightly as he dropped his hand to their joined bodies and used his thumb to tease her clit. She licked her lips and moaned loudly from the sensations. Already, she could feel her body preparing to release the tension that was building and judging from the way Damon's thrusts increased in pace, he wasn't that far behind either. As if on cue, Elena dug her nails into the counter as she reached her peak. Damon's seed warmed her insides as he followed her over the edge.

Elena grinned and leaned forward to capture his lips again. She pushed him back slightly until she was able to hop down from the counter and began to redress. "Now I need to clean up and get ready for the party."

"Right behind you," he said and followed her up to the master suite to get ready.

* * *

As family and friends started to arrive, Elena was more and more determined to remain happy. It warmed her heart to see that Damon's friends had become regular people in their life and had even started to feel like family. Their arrival only made the day seem better than she had thought it would. She was well aware that the day also represented the day she had lost her parents, but she was trying her best not to think about it. Luckily, it seemed that everyone else was trying to do the same. Although, as Elena stared at Isobel holding her granddaughter, she was reminded that Miranda and Grayson were missing out on this milestone too.

"Elena? Are you okay?"

Elena turned her head to see Lexi standing by her side in the kitchen. "Yeah," she replied and wiped at her eyes. "I'm fine," she added and smiled brightly. "Just thinking about how my parents would have loved to be here."

Lexi nodded and played with the hem of her shirt awkwardly. "Is it really okay that I'm here? I mean this is a big family event and-"

"Lexi, how many times do we have to go over this? Please, stop thinking of me as an ex and more of Stefan's best friend. You two are together now; he's moved on, I've moved on. I don't hate you or blame you for anything. Since Stefan doesn't have any intention of ending things with you nor you with him, I'm going to consider you family. So yes, it is more than okay that you're here and you're more than welcome to any other family function that will be held in the future."

Lexi smiled widely at that. "You're one hell of a person," she said.

"And don't you forget it," Elena replied and went to pull the cake out of the fridge. "Oh, that reminds me, I was going to ask if it was okay if Katherine called you Aunt Lexi."

"I would be honored."

Elena smiled and picked up the tray. She and Lexi walked into the living room and Elena announced, "Alright guys, who wants cake?"

With that, everyone followed her into the dining room to gather around the table and eat their dessert, watching the birthday girl attempt to blow out her candle. As Elena looked around, she realized that even with Miranda and Grayson's absence, everything had turned out better than she could have hoped for and for that she was grateful.

* * *

Elena closed her eyes and snuggled closer to Damon, her ear resting right over his heart where she could listen to it beat. The party had gone well and they had watched their daughter blow out her first set of birthday candles. Katherine hadn't even needed help getting the flame to go out. Now that the guests had gone, the house was clean, and the baby was sleeping for the night, Damon and Elena had gone to bed with a sense of accomplishment.

"Today went well," Damon said as his hands ran up and down the length of her spine.

"Mhmm," she mumbled, letting her eyes close.

"Are you okay?"

Elena frowned and lifted her head up so she could see him. "Why do you ask?"

He stared at her in disbelief before he answered. "I know today probably wasn't the easiest for you."

Elena smiled and pushed herself up so that she could straddle his waist. "I believe that they were here to celebrate with us. Yes, it breaks my heart to think that they missed this mile stone and that they're going to miss every single one of them, but there's nothing I can do to change that. What I can do is remember that life goes on and they would have wanted me to continue as I would have with them here. If that means mourning them while laughing as my daughter attempts to blow out her candles, then that's what I'll do."

Damon smiled up at her as his hands moved to her hips to hold her steady. "They were amazing people."

Elena nodded in agreement and leaned forward so that she was laying on top of him again, sliding off to the side so that she could bury her face in the crook of his neck. Neither one of them said another word on the topic and Damon's mind was beginning to wander. He had a question to ask her, but he wasn't sure if this was the right time. Elena picked up on the way his breathing became shallow and his heart skipped a beat. Frowning, she asked, "Damon? Everything okay?"

"I've just been doing a lot of thinking lately."

"About?"

"Us."

Elena had a feeling she knew where this conversation would lead and she was ready to have that talk. "What about us?" she prompted.

Damon shifted so that he was lying on his side facing her. He wanted to see her as he spoke. "I know that I love you, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and I hope you feel the same way."

She nodded. "Of course I do."

He swallowed thickly and shook his head, grinning at how flustered he was getting. Judging by her smile, he knew she was on to him. "I want you to be Mrs. Salvatore," he said and grabbed her hand. "Again," he added with a smirk. With a more serious look, he asked the actual question. "Will you marry me?"

"Of course I will," she replied without hesitation.

Damon pulled her closer for a kiss that confirmed the joy of their new engagement. "I guess that means I'll have to give you a ring," he said as he pulled away.

"You don't have one?"

"I wasn't going to ask tonight. It just sort of happened. I was going to ask you how you felt about getting married again. Since you already did the white dress, big family gathering thing the first time, I-"

"What do _you_want?" she asked, interrupting him.

"What do you mean?"

"I already had the wedding that I planned so I want you to tell me what you've always imagined that day to be like."

Damon shrugged as he moved to lie on his back. "I never really thought about it until I met you and as long as you were the one coming down any sort of aisle towards me, the details didn't matter."

Elena kissed him lightly again. "You know what, let's take our time and figure things out as we go; sound good?"

"Perfect."

"Love you," she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Love you," he replied as he held her tight. He couldn't help but grin as he closed his eyes and imagined all the happy years that were to come with Elena by his side.


	29. Chapter 29

**a/n: This is it guys, the final chapter. Thank you all for sticking with me for this one :) especially since Elena was very annoying to alot of you. I thought long and hard about how exactly I wanted to end it and I couldn't have been happier with the way it turned out! You guys are the best!**

**I will be working on Written in the Stars and Of Different Worlds next along with another one shot (one that will be up within the next few weeks).**

TWENTY-NINE

Elena could tell that she was smiling before she even opened her eyes. The past few days had been heaven. For her birthday, Damon had surprised her with a week long trip to Greece. It was more of surprise than it would have been considering they were supposed to get married within the next few months. Either way, Elena enjoyed the gift. It was even better now that Katherine was old enough to enjoy herself. It made Elena smile even more as she thought of her daughter's third birthday they had celebrated not too long ago.

With that thought in mind, Elena opened her eyes and frowned a little. The hotel room was a little too quiet for having a three year old around. Especially one that had turned out to rise early. Elena pushed herself up into a sitting position and yawned before getting out of bed and slipping on her robe. "Damon? Kat?" she called out as she left the bedroom. Nothing. The living room and kitchenette were completely empty. Even Katherine's bedroom was vacant.

Just as Elena started to panic, she found a note on the little table and sighed as she read it. _"__Kat __and __I __decided __to __hit __the __beach __for __a __little __bit. __When __you __get __around __to __reading __this, __you __should __come __join __us.__"_ She smiled as she put the note back on the table. She looked at the clock and groaned a little. She was still getting used to the time difference, but no matter where she was, the time was still early. She shrugged and decided to join them on the beach after all.

She headed back to her room and opened the closet. She did a double take as she saw how empty it was. There was only one thing on a hanger and it was inside a garment bag. She narrowed her eyes as she saw another note with Damon's hand writing. _"__I __should __also __mention __that __we __have __another __surprise __for __you. __Kat __would __like __you __to __get __all __dolled __up __and __wear __this.__"_

Elena couldn't help but smile and shake her head. Carefully, she brought the garment bag to the bed and began to unzip it. Her eyes widened at the sight of the dress that was revealed. It was an off-white, knee length dress that had straps that reminded her of the ancient Greeks. It was fitting for where they were and she couldn't wait to put it on. After doing her hair and make-up, she stood in front of the mirror and pulled on the dress, completely in love with the reflection she saw. Eagerly, she grabbed her purse and headed out to the beach, hoping that her family wasn't too far away from the hotel.

"Miss Gilbert?" some called the moment she stepped outside.

She stopped and turned to look at the man who had spoke. "Yes?" she returned. A part of her knew Damon had set this up considering she had never bothered to change her name back to Gilbert.

"Follow me please," he said and led her towards the beach. Elena followed him cautiously, her curiosity peaking as he led her to a restricted section that was usually used for private parties. It was then that she realized Damon had planned something different than a little get together on the beach. Her suspicions were confirmed as she rounded the corner into the restricted section and the sight before her nearly took her breath away.

There was an arched altar facing the water that was wrapped with flowers of every color. Standing beneath that arch was Damon in a semi-formal outfit and Katherine in one of her favorite dresses. Damon was standing off to one side with a sly grin on his face as she started at Elena's as she took everything in. Katherine was holding a bouquet of flowers that matched the ones on the arch. The man who had led her here from the hotel smiled at her before he went to stand underneath the arch, facing the hotel.

"Damon..." Elena breathed as she moved closer to them.

"I know we've been planning a wedding for back home, but I thought this would be much more appropriate. I appreciate the fact that you were willing to do the whole nine yards even though you've already done it before. Honestly, I never cared about the details as long as you were walking down some sort of aisle and became my wife."

"But I-" she stammered, still trying to wrap her mind around everything that was going on.

He grinned and met her halfway to take her hands in his. "Everyone knows about this. Why do you think they kept pushing for you to agree to this vacation when our wedding was coming up so soon?"

Elena shook her head and allowed him to lead her up to the altar. "This is gorgeous," she said.

"I know you wanted everyone to be here, but-"

She shrugged. "They'll deal with it."

"Look Momma!" Katherine said, holding up her bouquet so that Elena could see.

Elena sunk down so that she could look her daughter in the eyes. She smiled as she pulled a flower from the bundle and tucked it into Katherine's long brown tresses that matched her own. "You look beautiful," she said and kissed Katherine's forehead before standing up again. "So we're really doing this. We're really getting married."

Damon nodded briefly and stuck out his hand for her to take. "As long as you still want to."

She placed her hand in his and nodded. "What are we waiting for?"

With that, they turned their attention to the man who was about to pronounce them husband and wife. As they listened to him speak, Elena couldn't help but smile and steal glances at her soon to be husband. The first time she had stood in front of an altar about to make this vow, she had been wracked with nerves and could feel the weight of the world pressing down on her. At this very moment in time, all she felt was joy. She had never been happier in her life and she knew she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

For the past few months, Elena had been stumped on what to get Damon for their first anniversary. They still celebrated the day that had actually met, but this was the first year they would be celebrating their marriage to each other and Elena wanted it to be one hell of a memory. Just as she always did when she was stuck, she called Caroline to help her brainstorm.

_"__Our __anniversary __is __in __a __few __days __and __I __can__'__t __think __of _anything_.__"_

_ Caroline frowned. "You know, this shouldn't be happening until much later on. Have you asked him what he would like?"_

_ Elena nodded. "All he says is that he has everything he wants. He's even harder to shop for than you are."_

_ The blonde cringed at that. "Damn. That is hard. Well, looks like we'll be here for a bit. Mind if I raid your fridge?"_

_ At the thought of food, Elena put her hand over her stomach and shook her head. "You can if you want. The thought of food makes me nauseous and nothing stays down for long."_

_ Caroline's eyes went wide. "How long has this been going on?"_

_ Elena immediately picked up on where she was going with this. "No..." she breathed and then recounted the events of the past few weeks. Her eyes widened as well. "You know what, that's entirely possible."_

_ "Forget dinner, I'm going out to buy pregnancy tests!" Caroline shouted and threw her arms around Elena. "Be back shortly!"_

That was how Elena found the perfect gift to give Damon for their first anniversary. She and Caroline had spent the rest of that afternoon coming up with the surprise. Now, Elena was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Damon to come home from work so they could go out for dinner. Katherine was going to stay the night at Isobel's so that they would have the evening to themselves. Elena couldn't stop smiling as she imagined Damon's reaction. Last time, she had dreaded every moment, but this time, she was overcome with happiness and couldn't wait to share the news.

At the sound of the garage, Elena got to her feet and picked the small bag up from the table. Damon walked into the kitchen from the side door to see Elena beaming at him. "Elena?"

"I kept thinking that I could wait until after dinner to give you your gift, but I can't," she said and handed it to him.

"Elena-"

"Just open it," she demanded, a smile still on her face.

Damon eyed her wearily as he took the bag and began to open it. Inside all the tissue paper was a pregnancy test in a Ziploc bag. Elena saw the look on his face when he realized what it was noticed the way that he paused. Slowly, he looked at the result of the test and then at her. "Is this for real?"

She nodded rapidly. "I'm pregnant again and this time, you get to experience everything right off the bat and neither of us have to feel guilty."

Damon dropped everything and gathered Elena into his arms. He lifted her enough so that she could wrap her legs about his waist and giggled into the heated kiss that he delivered. "Best anniversary ever."

She nodded and kissed him again. From that moment, they both realized they weren't going to make it to dinner. Damon began carrying her towards the bedroom where the night wore on to prove that it was indeed the best anniversary ever.


End file.
